The Bloodmaid's Tale
by RazzMcazz
Summary: An adaptation of Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale. A new government had arisen in the world. They call themselves the Order of Gilead. Immortal, selfish, and hungry creatures, they thrive on humans as a food resource. June, a human picked as a human pet and blood donor must feed her Commander and his Wifemate. No longer is she June, but now Offred, a Bloodmaid. This is her story.
1. Chapter 1

June sat on her cot looking into the darkness of the camp, the bland stale smelling room almost maddening as quiet whispers and coughs filled the silence of the night. She knew now her name was no longer June, but now Offred. They had taken even that from her. Her cot felt warm and itchy, and the nightdress all humans in the camp were given itched just as bad. She had been at the camp now for over three years, and had lost many friends to the monsters of the night.

They called it the Flesh Camp, but it was really an old high school, one of the many that were scattered around their northeastern town, another hollowed out building to keep humans in. It's old walls creaked in the middle of the night as the wind blew hard against the window panels. All the windows had been barred long ago when the buildings had first been made into the Flesh Camp, and all the doors were sealed to prevent escape. If she had known any better she would think this is what animals felt like in a zoo. She let out a sigh and looked next to her. Her little sister Sarah, with her mousy hair now shining in the moonlight, took long breathes that told June she was dreaming sweetly.

She was six now, barely even remembering their parents, or their brother Luke. And tomorrow she wouldn't remember June. She had been assigned a house, to be what the Order called a Bloodmaid, where she would be used for others to get their nutrition and youth back, and she would forever be separated from her family.

Those monsters...

Beautiful horrible creatures of the night, they had overtaken the whole country by now. Vampires, Bloodsuckers, the Undead, whatever you wanted to call them, they were all the same. It had started when the president had been assassinated, some said it was the vampires themselves who took out the higher officials that ran the country, they had caused hysteria behind the curtains of a so-called structured government. Funny that it had been taken over so easily... but it was also the same day June's parent's had died. She had been sitting in the living room, the white couch she loved to lay on where she had an afternoon nap right after school, when the breaking news poured over the television screen. Images poured over the government buildings being taken over as smoke filled the sky. She remembered being wide eyed and still, watching as looters took over cities. It was how they lived back then, as everyone had at the time. All the signs were there, but people ignored it. They ignored how government officials were keeping quiet about the deaths, about the disappearances of people. June hated them, ignoring wasn't the same as ignorance, ignoring takes work. Like a gradually heating bathtub, the human race had been boiling to death without even knowing it. There were rumors, but it was just that. When they slaughtered Congress, when they blamed organizations and terrorists, all while the vampires had been waiting diligently, watching us destroy each other until they came and took over.

She remembered panic. Pure unaltered panic as she saw people outside her own home looting in the streets, people crying and wondering what had happened as they watched their loved ones dying left and right. Then Luke had come home, his tall frame shadowing the doorway as his blonde hair was swept back like it was whenever he was stressed. His dark blue eyes were hollow as he looked to her with despair while closing the door quickly to the chaos outside.

"Mom and Dad are gone" he whispered.

"What do you mean?" June said shocked as she got up from the couch.

"I mean they are dead June, this morning...oh God what are we going to tell Sarah?" he said holding his head in his hands "A car crash...it was a hit and run..."

June had been frozen to the spot that whole night. They had managed to keep intruders out of the house as they grieved. It all happened so fast...her brother had cried in her arms, and then Sarah. No tears had left her eyes though she had become a stone statue, unable to grasp that her parents were gone and it was up to her and Luke to take care of Sarah.

And then like a nightmare, the vampires emerged from the darkness and took over the country almost over night

They called themselves the race of Gilead. Pale porcelain faces, eyes darker than a moonless night, and teeth sharper than a snakes. They sprung up and took over, throwing away the government June once thought she knew and making their own.

Then the harvesting started.

Luke had found out about it first. He had been at the grocery store getting Sarah lunch packs for school, when he saw the black vans start picking people off the street. It explained the disappearances, but June like everyone, had thought that it could never happen here. It wasn't a particular person, or a group of people, but everyone that the vampires set their eyes on. Luke had barely escaped and came home in a hurry. She had been asleep then, now, she was awake.

He had told them to pack quickly,nothing heavy that they couldn't carry along with them. Sarah had almost refused to leave her toys behind, but June convinced her just to take the small stuffed elephant her parents had given her for her fifth birthday. Sarah agreed and left the house fast with June and Luke. Leaving felt like being a coward, but Luke had told June over and over that it was the only way to keep them safe. Outside the borders of the country, they could live free and away from the undead. Their neighborhood that was once friendly and inviting had looked like a war zone when they had finally decided to run away. Houses were gutted open, people leaving like rats deserting a ship. Some had managed to escape, but like most, many had been captured for the vampires.

They were making their way south, somewhere that the vampires had not sprung up. Luke had stolen a car, something that wasn't uncommon in those times, and had driven them to the border of what was now called the Order of Gilead. They had taken over most of the USA, along with many cities in the UK and Europe. Australia and some of South America seemed to be where most humans had flocked to. Luke suggested south and June was more than happy to agree with him, as long as it meant getting away.

He had picked up fake teeth and contacts for their eyes. The Nightwalkers had very distinct eyes, they glowed like cats eyes in the night, the reflective lens of the creatures visible when light passed by in iridescent colors. A subtle but accurate difference between humans and vampires. June had such trouble putting the contact in Sarah's eye and had to eventually hold her down to quit her struggling.

The teeth had been simple, just cap them over your canines and bottom teeth and you looked like one of them. Luke stopped by their friend Mora's house to pick her up as well. Mora had been hiding out in an abandoned apartment for months now, trying desperately to avoid capture. Her lovely short red hair bobbed in the night as she jumped into the car with her backpack.

As they made their way to the border, June shook in her jacket and held Sarah close to her who was wide eyed. It had been on the edge of winter when they had decided to go, and Luke had planned a specific route to take them as far south as possible without running into problems. They were passing one of the many border patrols in West Virginia, hoping to make it down near Tennessee in a few days and then farther and farther south till they reached Texas. The woods were hauntingly still as June remembered looking outside before turning to Sarah. She looked like a small kitten in June's arms, and kept licking her chapped lips from the cold. June looked back to the front of the car and saw they were next. Luke handed the guard the passports casually and looked to Mora with a smile. They had been in love for some time, and June had grown very close to Mora in the past months. Mora was independent, resilient, and June admired her greatly. She had seen Mora's passion and her bravery, she only wished she was the same. Instead, June found herself much like how her mother was, calm, nurturing, and careful. A stark contrast to the woman she knew her brother intended to marry once they were safe.

The guard looked at their passports and waved his meter over the car, making sure that they didn't possess any weapons or UV light pills. There were rumors about a human Resistance, and that they had made the technology to be able to kill the vampires at a distance rather than hand to hand combat. The vampires possessed enormous strength and were lightning quick. All they needed were their fangs and hands to rip a human apart if they chose to. The Resistance had to think of a different way to be able to fight back. UV light pills were now a threat to the vampires, and they were now making sure that they ceased any production of it. The guard handed the passports back to Luke and they seemed to be in the all clear, when Sarah suddenly sneezed and her canine cap fell from her mouth.

June automatically grabbed Sarah, knowing the guard had seen her human teeth, and bolted from the car. The woods were not far and June could make it if she carried Sarah. June could hear Luke's deep voice yelling for her to run and Mora's screams in the night.

Sarah started crying in her arms and June's breathe was growing short as her legs pumped battery acid through her veins just to try and outrun the guards. She could hear the spatter of gunfire in the night and she tried to steady her breathe while carrying Sarah's small body. The snow had began to fall, big flakes that dampened June's hair and made her body shiver. The trees had slowed the vampires for only a moment, but it was enough for June to get a head start, her feet moving blindly forward as long as it was away from the guards. Sarah cried in her arms as June tried to quiet her as their heaving breaths echoed in the air.

Eventually she became lost, and the guards had grabbed her immediately as soon as her legs stopped moving. Sarah shrieked as they pulled her away from June's arms that had almost become an iron grip around her. But she had been so weak, so tired and cold, June collapsed on the ground and felt the impending blow to the head as the guard hit her with the butt of his gun. Then everything went dark.

June had woke at the camp, the stone building blurry at first as she had tried to nurse her pounding head. They had taken the high school were June had attended and made it into a make-shift shelter at first, the cots lined up in rows as people around her began waking up as well. Her body was completely bruised up and battered as she hurriedly looked around to find Sarah next to her sleeping in her own cot. She breathed a sigh of relief and looked for Luke and Mora in the crowd of people also waking very confused and looking for loved ones. Everyone had different tales of why they were at the camp. Some had tried to escape, some had been taken off the street, and very few had come of their own free will to avoid the process of being taken.

She had found Mora, her face puffy and bruised from the guards beating and learned that they had taken Luke to a separate camp for human males. The camp her and Mora were in was for females only. The rules of the camp were simple, do not try and escape, and you may have a chance of living. All of the humans were made to wear white hospital gowns and were allowed only a certain diet. Raw eggs, meat, and some dairy along with vitamin pills that tasted like chalk. Absolutely no fruits, grains, sweets, and seafood. Only those kind of delicacies were reserved for the highest of human pets.

The Aunts made sure that all human were "re-educated" in the ways of the vampires. Humans were food, slaves, and property to the vampires and nothing else. They had no rights to speak, had no opinions and had no say on whether they lived or died. Their bodies and blood were for the taking, and whoever owned a human made all the decisions. It was like telling a herd of cattle they were going to be the next burger. June hated the propaganda the Aunt's tried to throw at them. They tried to make it seem like this was all for the greater good of humans, that they themselves should be thankful that they had the Order to take care of them. It was a bunch of bullshit in June's eyes and many others.

The Aunts were all female vampires, a lower class of vampire that was sent to keep others in line. Their class depended on how long they had been a vampire, the lower classes having only become "part of the darkness" for a few centuries. Others, called the Old Ones, had been around for far longer. The Aunts all wore brown dresses with their hair up tight, a sign of their caste, and carried around electrical cattle prods to keep the others in line. If a human spoke out of turn, if they gave the Aunts a harsh eye or a resistant stance, they would be shocked into obedience.

June sighed and looked to the Aunts break room, its florescent light glowing bright above her. The Aunts never slept, just took breaks and played cards with each other. Sometimes an Aunt would be caught going down into the human beds and feeding from an unsuspecting human, those that were caught found themselves dead on the walls of the borders of Gilead. Punishment was brutal in Gilead; anyone caught drinking more than their rationed blood was to be sentenced to death.

June looked back to Sarah, now sucking her thumb and holding tightly to her elephant. The guards let her keep her toy, knowing that she would be stripped of it later in life when she hit puberty. The human children thankfully were left alone, being dubbed Daughters and Sons, too young to actually feed from. Only the richest vampires paid heavy fees to drink from children, but even that was considered taboo among their own kind.

Though it still scared June, a Daughter could be transferred to a household and brought up along with other vampire children till they hit a certain age, then they would be come Bloodmaids or Martha's, the equivalent of half breeds in Gilead and sent into servitude for the vampires. That was now June's fate, of Offred's fate. Offred meant "Of Fred", meaning she was now the property of the man who was named Fredrick.

Property... the word felt sick even in June's head.

They all were stripped of their names, now only numbers to the Aunts. Junes was 2406J, meaning she was the two thousand, four hundred, and sixth human to enter the camp. The J was the only remnant of her name. Thankfully Sarah was 2407S, so her cot was right next to June's, although she mostly slept in June's cot.

June covered Sarah up more with the wool blanket and thought about tomorrow. She had been told that she specifically had been chosen to be a Bloodmaid. According to the Aunts, it was a high blessing for a human.

"You could be sent to the Farm as a Unhuman, where they strap you to a machine and you spend the rest of your puny mortal life giving out blood. No walks, no sunshine, no clothes, no nothing, you are just food to us and will be treated so. Luckily for you, someone found you attractive enough to keep in their house, bless yourself human" the Aunt had said handing June her new clothes to wear. June felt as if the Aunts were nothing more than broken records, another speech that would "re-educate" had been given a red dress and a red cloak with red shoes and sent away, the material cold but sleek against her hands.

"A question Aunt?" she said bowing her head as she was supposed to.

"Yes human?" the Aunt said.

"What about 2407S? She is too young to be left alone at camp; I was hoping I may take her with me till the Agency finds a house for her?" June said hopeful she could take Sarah with her.

"That cannot be allowed 2406J, but I will give you this comfort, 2407S will be given away tomorrow too, a nice family with three or four young Keepers, she will be taken well cared of. Your Commander made it so when he found out you were kin to each other" the Aunt said looking her up and down with those cold eyes. Keepers were what the Aunt's called the vampires that owned humans within the household.

"Great Thanks,Aunt" June whispered and walked out the door. It did give her comfort that Sarah would go to a family and not be left alone in this hollow cold place. Daughters that were adopted had a very good life, they were well kept and had very nice clothes and were treated with some respect. June thought the vampires only did this because they knew that a happy Daughter would make a happy Bloodmaid and be willing to give themselves to their household completely.

June on the other hand, had a different story. She was almost malnourished, having her regular diet taken away by food the night walkers fed her. They made her weak so that she wouldn't be able to fight or to run away. It was a system that the vampires had worked on for centuries, and now it was a fine tuned and well oiled machine that her kind had been put through the last three years.

June looked under her bed and pulled out the red dress. Its haunting red glowed in the moonlight, looking more like blood than the poppy red it was supposed to resemble.

Bloodmaid.

The term was almost cherished and hated by many. It meant that a human would leave a Flesh camp and be entered into the vampire world. It meant giving your body to two or three people to feed from and endure the pain. It meant having to sleep and eat according to someone else. It meant slavery and freedom at the same time, freedom being that she would be out of danger rather than go to the Farm.

It meant a lot of things to June, but the most important thing it meant was that she would be away from Sarah and the humans, and into the world of the of the night.


	2. Chapter 2

The shock of the cattle prod woke June up in a scream. It hissed and popped as it hit her soft flesh and left smoke drifting up into June's nose.

"Time to wake up 2406J" the Aunt said with a wicked smile "Your Commander awaits."

June woke up and combed her fingers through her long blonde hair trying to look somewhat presentable. She had this bad habit of wanting to look decent, a habit picked up by her mother's constant reminder that she was a lady and not a ragdoll.

June slipped off the wool nightgown, almost sighing in relief that the cloth was off of her skin. She dressed in the red gown and shoes then looked down at herself. The dress was tight, but she suspected that the cloak would cover up her body enough, and it fitted to her body almost perfectly. The shoes were red moccasins with soft fur inside of them and June wiggled her toes feeling comfort for the first time in three years. It was strange to appreciate the fine things she was wearing knowing that they came from her owners. The thought turned sour in June's mind as she now regarded the dress and shoes with contempt. They were not hers to wear for pleasure, but to show that she was a object.

The Aunt watched June carefully. Someone was always watching. Nothing could change for them. It all had to be the same, look the same, or the system would fall apart.

"Put your veil on human" the Aunt said scornfully, June did as she was told and pulled over the white veil she had strapped around her head "Remember your scripture. Blessed are the meek."

Veils were used so that other vampires would not be tempted to drink from a Bloodmaid and keep their privacy for their owners. As June was about to leave she looked to Sarah, still sleeping soundly in her cot and gently stroked her forehead. She bent down quickly and whispered into the child's ear. "Someday, I will find you, and we will be together again" she said as the Aunt pulled her from the girl. June wanted to scream and push the Aunt away, watching as Sarah's tiny body began fading from her view the more and more the female vampire pulled June away. She hated this, hated them for separating her from Sarah, from Luke...

"Blessed are those who suffer for the cause of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom in Heaven..." she would remember this. She had to suffer, to do the right thing. And that was whatever it was that would keep Sarah safe. This was survival, it was what humans had to do now.

They walked past the cots, all full of wide eyed staring humans. Some had looks of fear for her, others jealousy, but most of them just stared blankly at her, their souls gone from their bodies leaving an empty shell. They had broken the human spirit in this place, draining them of not only blood but of hope. They had killed their families, had taken away their freedom and taken them from their own homes. It made June sick to look at them, wanting to fight but knowing to do so would be her death. She had to survive, for Sarah.

June took the stairs up to the Aunts break room and out the door into the fresh air of night. It was the first time she was outside at nighttime, the Aunts only let them out for one hour during the day and then it was back inside. They said that the vampires could taste the sun in the blood, which is why they craved it so, but too much and it could make the vampires sick.

The stars sparkled above the vast black night and June shivered as she stared up above. The Aunt put the coat around her shoulders and pushed her gently towards the limo that was waiting outside of the building. Two Guardians stood outside the door, they were the lower class male vampires that did the meaningless work of the government and were almost practically everywhere. They stood as direct as tin soldiers, their black SWAT armor making them almost shadows as June looked away from the helmets they wore to hide their expressions.

June bowed her head as she was supposed to and got in the large black limo without a sound. The car was spacious enough and she sat with her knees together and her hands folded, dreading what was going to happen next.

"You may lift the veil now" a voice said from the other side of the car, hidden in the shadows of the night. Only the eyes were visible to June.

June did as she was told and she heard almost a sigh as the moonlight glowed on her face.

"You are very pretty, for a human" the voice said as a figure now bent forward from the shadows. It was a man, with long dark hair that was tied back in a ponytail, and glowing yellow eyes that slit up like a snakes. He had high cheekbones and tanned skin, which surprised June since most vampires she had seen were pale. He regarded June with those intense eyes, his lips thin but attractive. He was handsome, but those iridescent eyes that reflected the passing lights reminded June he was in fact, not human. He was dressed in lavish but outdated clothes, as his rank was supposed to, his dress showed just how long he had been a vampire in this world. He was an Old One, or sometimes called a Commander, the oldest bloodsuckers that the earth held and had the most power in the country of Gilead. They were the highest of the classes because of their strength and abilities.

"Your name is now Offred, you understand?" he said in a gentle but firm voice, his accent only hinting as he spoke. He reminded her of a snake, a beautiful exotic snake that was deadly to the touch. June put the veil back over her face and bent her head back down. Another education the Aunt's had taught her. She nodded her head and caste her eyes down, knowing she was not supposed to look at him unless he told her to. She was given specific rules before she left the Flesh Camp. The first one was to bow your head in front of any vampire, for she was a human and not worthy to be the same height as them.

The second was to never look a vampire straight in the eye, for it was offensive to them and many humans died because of it. The third was to only speak when told to; she was to be silent at all times unless given permission.

"You will live in our attic, we have decorated it very nicely that I think you might enjoy" he said now looking out the window with his legs crossed and a hand lying casually on his knee. "You even have a mirror, courtesy of myself" he said smiling, his eyes glowing in the dark again as they passed the city lights and headed for the rich part of the city where the Old Ones stayed.

June looked up when he said mirror. A mirror was a rare thing in those times, for the vampires never needed one and felt almost...was it ashamed? That they couldn't see their own reflection, almost forgetting what their faces looked like. Mirrors had been banned from most households when the Order of Gilead took over, to have one was a sign of status in the community.

"You may thank me if you like" he said still staring at her. Did he even blink? She glanced up quickly and bent her head back down. "Great Thanks, Commander" she quietly said.

"Even a pretty voice" he said bending towards her now. His cold fingers grazed her face and she dared not look up at him now. His breathe was so close to her face, she could feel its cool breeze hit her skin. He pulled her face up to look into his "You are very welcome Offred" and then let go of her face and sat back into his original position. June felt the air in the car grow a bit more relaxed, her heart beginning to slow as she assessed her situation. It was clear Fredrick was important, and he seemed to like her enough. If she played her position right, maybe there was a chance of getting back to Sarah?

June looked out the window and saw the house they were pulling into. It was large and white, looking like an old southern estate made for rich settlers. The columns of the house were covered in vines and moon flowers. The limo pulled up alongside the curved driveway and a guardian opened the door for the two.

"You will meet my wife, Serena, and my son Nicholiah. We will begin the ceremony to make you ours but I will tell you something right now, my son will not drink from you unless given permission. Is that understood?" he said guiding her up the stairs, her head still cast down.

"Yes my Commander" she said again softly, she wasn't supposed to raise her voice in any circumstance, no matter how angry she became. And she was feeling anger in the worst way. The way Fredrick spoke to her, how she had to call him Commander, it made her skin crawl as he led her towards the house.

"Good" he said, his European accent coming forward now that he was in his own home.

The house was very grand,the walls a creamy marble with a crystal chandelier hanging high above her. Pictures and luxurious sculptures decorated the corners of the room and a double staircase led to the visible second floor. There on the stairs stood a very finely dressed woman waiting with a boy no more than June's age. The boy was tall, lanky, but June could tell he possessed strength. He had dark brown hair that was cropped in a posh style while his high cheek bones were so sharp she probably could cut herself on them. His azure eyes bore down at June as she stared and she quickly averted her gaze even though the veil covered her face.

The woman had honey blonde hair that was long and wavy. Her face was as sharp as her sons with the same cheekbones. They both had pale skin compared to Fredrick's. Her lips were painted red and her eyes looked almost black in the light. She was slender and tall as her tight black dress nearly strangled her curves. She wore sparkling jewelry and look down at June with a cold smile.

"I see you have brought our food my love" she said, her voice dark and lovely. She slowly descended the stairs and came beside the man's side. "Fredrick you should have told me you were coming early, I could have cleaned myself up" she said looking up at her husband with an almost evil stare. June swallowed hard, feeling the tension between the male and female vampire grow the more and more they got closer to one another.

"No worries my pet, you look as radiant as ever" he said without a smile and quickly pushed her off and led June to a room to the left of her. The boy stood at the top of the stairs, his eyes wide and opened looking at her. June could only glance his way quickly before she was taken away by the couple, leaving the boy standing alone on the stairs.

June was led by Fredrick into a room with a large fireplace with fur rugs and elegant seating everywhere. Old paintings hung on the walls that June could only guess were family members or comrades in battle. Serena came to her side and grabbed her wrist tightly as Fredrick did the same on her other side. June tried to steady herself, her panic increasing as she knew what was to come. This was her fate now, to be used by these two who so obviously didn't like one another. It was a stark contrast to how her parents had been, always sweet towards one another with looks of warmth and love. June faintly wondered what would have become of them if they were alive now...

They led June to a large ceremony rug in the middle of the floor, with a seat at the front of it. This was the thing the Aunts were very specific on, the vampires would sit on the rug and you were to open your wrist for them as you sat in the seat. This was feeding time, and it happened every three days of the week. Any more than that and the vampires ran the risk of killing their Bloodmaid.

"Sit down Offred" Fredrick said and she quickly sat, wanting the pain to be over with as soon as possible.

Serena went to a box that sat on a table and pulled out two black metal wrist clasps with ornate keyholes. She came beside Fredrick and each took Junes wrist in their hands.

"These clasps mean that we are your owners, nobody else has the key to these clasps but us. You have come here of your own free will and will be used for the sole purpose of our well-being. Is this understood?" Fredrick said, his teeth shining in the glow of the firelight. June wanted to slap their hands away and scream that no, she had not come of her free will, she wanted to run and never return to this place again. Instead, she gritted her teeth and looked down.

"Understood" June said her voice trembling as Serena bent slowly towards her wrist with a hiss. The pain was almost unbearable. It felt as if she were burning from the inside out, her fingers going numb as both vampires took from her. Serena sunk her fangs into Junes flesh and she could hear the popping of her veins as they produced fresh blood for the vampire. Fredrick bit down as well and began lapping up the blood like a thirsty dog.

June grinded her teeth and bit her lip till it bled. It felt like needles coursing through her veins, and her body wanted nothing but to run. Her skin begged for it to be over and her feet itched to kick the two bodies from her wrist. Her lungs wanted to scream in agony but she kept silent. To scream or resist was to face death instantly. The vampires could break her clean in half like a twig if they wished, and judging by the first impression of Serena, the female vampire probably wanted nothing more than to see June's death.

Tears welled up in her eyes as Serena finished licking her lips and snapping the wrist clasp shut over the bleeding skin. She looked up at June with a scowl and quickly got up to leave the room. Fredrick let go slowly as Serena slammed the door shut and stomped back up the stairs.

He licked up the remaining blood and clasped the black metal wrist band over the arm. Fredrick looked up into June's eyes and June quickly looked away.

"No" he whispered guiding her face back to his with his hand. His touch felt soft and comforting to June. Although she was tired, the blood loss greater than she expected, and she had no will to push him away at the moment. "Look at me" he said wiping away the little drops that had formed on her face "You are no longer insignificant, you are special now" he said whispering. His eyes seemed almost human as he looked at her with what seemed like admiration.

"You do not need to follow those rules around me" he said to her standing up "You may look at me, and you have no need to bow your head" he now held her hands in his as he helped her stand. June felt her knees shake below her and felt very lightheaded. Her legs felt hot and sweaty from the stress of the feeding, and she longed for a glass of water to drown herself in.

Before she knew what was happening two women entered the room and took Junes arms in theirs. They gently led her up two flights of stairs till they reached a room with decorative flowers over the door. June looked around in a daze as they undressed her and sat her in the pillow top bed. She laid down and breathe deeply, letting sleep overtake her, forgetting the nightmare that had just happened.


	3. Chapter 3

June fluttered her eyes open the next day and woke with panic. She still thought she was back at camp, and she couldn't feel Sarah beside her. But as she looked around she remembered what had happened and knew Sarah was gone now. It left an empty pit in her stomach, the kind she knew couldn't be filled. She had loved Sarah the moment she had been born, never jealous that there was now a new baby of the family. No, Sarah was doted on by June so much her own mother had joked if June were any older people would think Sarah was her own daughter. They both looked alike, the same heart shaped face, the same long eyelashes. They even seemed to have the same birthmarks on the small of their backs. She missed her as much as she missed Luke. But at least in some way there was still a chance of seeing Sarah, as long as she could survive this place...

Her wrists felt bruised as June tried to dig her finger up the black metal clasp and massage where her Keepers had bit. It was no use and she heavily sighed as she sat up from her bed and looked around the room.

It was small, but very well kept. Thick curtains hung from the solitary window overlooking the garden and garage in the backyard. It was night as the black clouds rolled over the dark sky. June stood from the bed and felt the cold hardwood floor beneath her warm feet. The walls were plainly painted, a dark blue in this house full of black, white, and gold.

June sighed and found the mirror Fredrick had promised her. She looked into it with wide eyes. She hadn't seen her reflection in so many years and she looked more grown up than she should. Her blonde long hair waved and curled in a mess of cream around her face that seemed hollow in the lamplight. She looked to her face, her hand gently touching her cheek, as her eyes were steel gray, like the sky before snowfall. She had become so skinny from her time in the Flesh Camp, her once hourglass curves now tight against her skeleton from being so malnourished. To think, she would have killed for this body before the Order of Gilead...

Grey and blue eyes were a rare trait in humans in that time, harvesting and the decrease of genetics left the humans very little distinction between each other. Most had brown eyes, with brown or black hair, redheads and blondes were nearly extinct now and a different eye color was nearly impossible. Maybe that was why she had been chosen? Luke if he was lucky would hopefully end up in a house as well instead of the Farm, he too had blonde hair but blue eyes like Sarah's.

But there she was, her big gray eyes staring back at her. Her cheeks looked pale and her skin was almost white from the lack of sunshine. A ghost of what she once was...

Suddenly a figure appeared behind her that almost made June jump out of her skin.

"Sorry I didn't mean to startle you!" the girl said. She was dressed in a cotton green dress that almost looked too modest for her. The girl had short brown hair but a warm smile. She was apparently a Martha, which were the half human, half vampire breed, and a few steps below June. At some point, the vampires had decided to breed with the more genetically sought after humans, and in turn made half breeds. Most didn't think vampires could become pregnant with children, and while it was difficult, it was still possible for the female vampires to conceive. June had known a few stories of the female vampires taking human children and turning them to be their own, a thought that made June shiver as she thought of the fate of Sarah.

"My name is Cora and I'll be taking care of you" she said handing June a fresh pair of clothes. It was the same red dress, same shoes, same veil, and the dress code for her rank. "You are allowed to talk to me you know" Cora said taking a brush from a nearby dresser "You are higher up than me and can speak to me freely, I do not think bad of you like others will no doubt" she spoke very frankly, her auburn hair held tightly back into a bun.

"My name is Offred" June said quietly "Did you help me up here last night?"

The girl turned to June her eyes staring at her happily. They were deep brown. "She's more human than vampire" June thought to herself.

"I did help you up here, with the other servant Rita, but she mainly serves Madam Serena. I've been completely assigned to you" she said with a smile.

"Well, thank you" June said as Cora dressed June in her tight red dress. June looked to herself in the mirror and realized the dress hugged her body pretty well, showing off only her neckline and arms. The sleeves were long and almost see through as the bodice was sweetheart shaped. It all looked very grand against June's simple body.

"You are very lucky to be in this house" Cora said folding up her bed sheets "The last one didn't last more than a week, but she was such a weak thing, barely able to move or cope. You seem a lot stronger than most humans."

The statement made June furrow her brows. Strong? That wasn't a term she heard often when people described her. No, Luke was strong, Mora was strong, not her...

Trying to get off the subject, June tried to turn the conversation around to Cora.

"Was one of your parent's human?" she asked looking away from the mirror at Cora.

Cora looked up shocked "How did you know?"

"Your eyes, they are brown, I just assumed you were part human" said June sheepishly.

"Well, yes, my mother was" she said looking away from June now "But she died a long time ago."

"I'm sorry about that" June said, now feeling like she intruded on Cora's past.

"Are your parent's still alive?" Cora said still cleaning her room. June stood in the middle, not wanting to get in the way of Cora's fluid movements around the room.

"No, they are both gone. So is my brother, and my sister has been adopted by another family. The Commander made it so" June said casting her head down at the memory of Sarah.

"Well she is one of the lucky ones then. I'll bring you your breakfast now" Cora said now smiling again at her as she left the room.

June ate well; eggs that were cooked were presented to her, along with crispy bacon and fresh milk. June was surprised though that a singular apple saw at the corner of her food tray. Humans were not supposed to have fruit; the council of Gilead had made it so that the human blood was nutritious and not full of sugar and carbohydrates.

When June looked to Cora in puzzlement, Cora just softly shook her head motioning it was okay to eat it. "A gift from the Commander" she quietly said "Don't let Madam Serena see you eat it."

June bit into the apple, its cool crisp juice flowing into her mouth. June let out a soft sigh, she had not tasted fruit in so long, and the pure sweet taste of it made her mouth savor each bite.

Cora told June she was allowed into the garden for one hour a day.

"Don't try and escape" Cora said leading her down the stairs to the garden doors "The Eyes keep watch over this house at all times. If you even tried you would be picked up in a few hours and led to the Farm."

The good thing about being human was that they would never kill you outright. The worst punishment was being sent to the Farm. Vampires couldn't spare a dead human; their blood was too precious for that.

As June walked out into the sunlight she closed her eyes drinking in the warmness. She smelt all the day flowers, their scent wafting through the air in almost a musical tone. June walked through the paths of countless flowers and enjoyed the solitude she was given in that precious hour.

June bent towards a rose, her favorite flower, and smelt it in a deep sigh. Suddenly she felt someone was watching her as the hairs on the back of her neck stood straight up.

She whipped around, looked feverishly across the garden praying it wasn't the Eyes come to take her away for touching the rose. She spotted a figure in the doorway of the house that led into the garden, but in a split second it was gone and out of sight into the garage as the figure dashed right by her past the bushes and flowers of the garden.

In that quick moment June was able to recognize the figure. It was the son, Nicholiah. He dashed quickly past the cameras and she was sure he was so fast they could barely even catch a glimpse of the boy.

June stood frozen as she watched him disappear. As he went out of site she left the garden quickly and slammed the door shut behind her, not wanting the Eyes to see she had seen him.

June returned to her room, contemplating her situation so far. It had all seemed so fast, so sudden. She wondered if she would ever be able to keep up with this new life. How had it gotten like this? She had always thought that the will of humans would outlast anything, but in a matter of three years her kind had been broken like cattle. She remembered how it had started off slow, the protests, the fights, many which she had personally agreed with. She remembered how people discriminated and hated one another, all for simple and petty differences. Such prejudice, such hate, it was no wonder the vampires felt the need to take over. Maybe that's why they decided to take out the powers that had held the country, they killed the leaders and made themselves the heir to the throne of what was once the good ol' US of A.

Now it was so different, but still so much the same. She was outcasted by so many for her position now, so separated from what "normal" was in this day and age. Growing tired of reminiscing about the past, June tried to busy herself by walking around the house for a while, knowing Fredrick and Serena were fast asleep.

Had anyone tried to kill their master's while they slept?

The thought almost made June's heart stop, her paranoia setting in thinking that the Eye's could even read her mind if they wanted to...

She hurried back to her room and shut the door tight, hoping she was just being foolish and tried to rest for the majority of the day. It would do no good to try and stay awake in the day and sleep at night. She was in a house full of nocturnes after all..

The rest of the day though was spent with just one question on June's mind as she lay on her bed staring at the ceiling of her room.

"How was Nicholiah able to be in the daylight?"


	4. Chapter 4

June awoke to the sound of knocking on her door, sleeping through the whole day previously, although she had been having a nightmare about the Eyes coming and taking her away to the Farm for touching a rose. June felt exhausted, her body not used to waking up this time of night, she only hoped she would grow accustomed to it soon. If she survived that long that is...

She quickly dressed herself and opened the door only a sliver, fearful on who would be waiting on the other side. Thankfully t was Cora but her eyes were wide and scared.

"It's time again" she said with worry. June had to go down to the room for the Ceremony. She slowly walked out the door, her veil brushing against her face when she felt the eyes on her again. She looked around, wanting to know who was watching her.

Quickly June turned in a different direction and spotted Nicholiah watching her closely before turning around the corner and disappear down the hallway. June felt afraid that he was watching her so closely, fearful that he would take her without his father's permission and end up doing permanent damage to June.

A door suddenly slammed shut as June flinched at the sound. She could hear Cora tisk tisk behind her. "Poor Nicholiah, he's so weak lately, and he can only get blood when his father allows it. Mistress Serena and the master constantly fight about it."

June didn't say anything, but she took note of why Fredrick had said specifically she was to give blood only to him. She entered the room finding Serena and Fredrick sitting on the rug with lavish pillows around them. Fredrick was feeding Serena grapes and drinking wine when he suddenly stopped as she entered the room. His once muscular frame that had been draped over Serena for a moment stiffened at the sight of June, his eyes almost lighting up at her presence as he quickly crossed the room taking June's hand in his.

The quick change of expression from Fredrick sent Serena fuming, her cheeks reddening against her skin, but she stayed regardless, knowing that she must feed to survive. June sat down silently, her eyes cast south and her arms open for them, ready for the pain she was about to endure once more.

She heard the click of the key in the wrist clasp and braced for the intolerable pain. Serena bit down hard, not caring if she damaged the skin or not. Fredrick was softer, giving a small kiss that made June want to vomit before biting down gently, as if savoring each easy flow of her blood.

"Gentle my love, gentle" Fredrick whispered to Serena who was ravishing June's wrist beside him.

Serena's head flew up from the wrist "Do not tell me how to use the human!" her eyes glowed fiercely and June bit her lip to keep from screaming at the horror of her true face. Her teeth were pulled back much as a wolf bares it's fangs, her mouth covered in June's own blood as she spat insults in Fredrick's direction all the while taking from June. Fredrick watched her with an almost bored expression, his mouth busy pulling blood from June's wrist. Serena finished hard and left the open wrist flowing as she carelessly sat up and stared at June wiping the blood with the back of her hand away from her mouth.

"You are nothing! You understand me? Nothing!" she screamed slapping June across the face before storming out of the room. June only made a small whimper, taking the abuse as long as Serena left her be afterwards. She felt her cheek sting and redden and lazily tried to raise her hand to massage the spot that was now burning on her face. It was then she noticed she was bleeding out and quickly began to panic.

Fredrick sat up and mended June's wrist fast before the loss of blood was too much for her. He looked to the door, wondering if he should storm after Serena and punish her for such an action. June sat there, motionless. The blow from Serena stung on her face but she dare not move her now numb arm to caress it.

Instead two hands flew to her face, taking her up into Fredrick's dark eyes. "Do not mind her; she is just jealous and foolhardy. She does not appreciate what you have given us." He let her head drop and led her body on the pillows with him. June went reluctantly, not knowing what Fredrick intended to do with her just yet. She new some Commander's had sex with their Bloodmaid's, but God, June hadn't even felt another boy yet alone a man since high school. The thought made her face heat up even more and she quickly bowed her head to hide from Fredrick's stare.

"Do not fear me" he whispered holding her closely. Such an action was forbidden, vampires were never supposed to touch humans other than taking blood from them. But here June was, wrapped in a man's arms, numb to everything and everyone.

He felt warm, which was very unusual for his kind. His scent struck her hard, a warm spicy smell that reminded her of old wood and incense. "You know why you are special?" he said smelling her hair. She didn't answer, she was too scared and unsure of what to do. Her words were lost as she tried to remain still in his arms even though his hands began roaming down her arms and back. The touch made June shiver, not wanting this, not wanting him like this. But she new to resist was futile. She was Fredrick's, she was Offred.

"I'll tell you" he said "Because your kind is so precious, even in our new world. I helped build this world so that our kind would realize that. We cannot live without you, although you can live without us. This world was so corrupt before us; we only wanted to make it better for you, so that you could feel special."

June heard him speak; he must have been one of the first to rise up against the government. He was the one who started the rise of the vampires, taking her freedom away, her life, in yet now he was laying here with her, telling her she was special to him. It made something inside her burn, a fiery blaze that she wished would quiet inside herself. She had to remain in control of her emotions, she had to be a statue and not succumb to the anger that boiled underneath her skin.

June barely breathed before he stirred her back to reality. "You may speak to me; I give you full permission to act as yourself around me. I am not some demon in the night or a bedtime monster, , I am just a man, trapped in an immortal body, wanting to live again."

June looked into his eyes; she saw that he spoke the truth however skewed it may be to her. He acted more human than any vampire she had known, and somewhere deep inside herself, she felt some sort of strange comfort. Fredrick stood up and looked down at her. "You possess such a gift in yet you don't realize you have it" he whispered "I must go now, but we will meet here every day now. Your company is greater than hers" he said with a sneer at the door.

June sat up, her hair falling over her shoulder, her wide eyes staring at him. "You may go upstairs now if you like Offred" he said now turning from her "The sun is about to rise."

Looking around the room in a daze, June saw that the Ceremony room must double as Fredrick's own private room. Large chests were seen underneath the enormous bookshelves she hadn't seen at first from the darkness of the room from her first night. Had he read all of them, she wondered...

Remembering her place, June did as she was told and walked out of the room. She closed the door and nearly ran up the stairs into the hallway to get as far away from Fredrick as she could for the moment. As she stood suddenly the air came back into her lungs and she let out a small cry.

She should have screamed at him, should have banged her fists against his chest in a fit, she should have told him what he had done to her family and how he's destroying millions of lives. But instead she had been silent and numb like a doll.

June spat at her disgust of herself, she was not someone who just lay down and died for whomever to walk all over her. June walked fast up the stairs into the attic and slammed the door.

"How dare he speak to me like that!" she said to herself "How dare he take me away from my family and then call me special the next! I am not a toy for him to play games with! I am a human being!" she said out loud and then suddenly stopped. She was a human being...and now in this world that meant absolutely nothing...

June sunk to the floor, her eyes cast downward. She really was nothing, not anymore; she was a tool, an object to be used and nothing more. Maybe they had been right... Maybe the vampires had taken over because men were mortal and self destructive by nature. Fredrick said human's were special, was it because they were so at fault with even themselves? Was June special for having the will to fight for herself and her family? Or because she was useless when the time came to act?

Tears started to well up in her eyes; the thought of everything had struck her. Her parent's death, the loss of Luke and Sarah, Serena's fiery gazes and pure jealousy, it all came rushing over her. She bent over and let the tears roll, trying her hardest to stifle her hiccups of sobs.

Suddenly she heard tapping and quickly looked around trying to cover up her tears. Two glowing eyes were staring at her from the window and she quickly got up and opened the sliver of the curtain. It had begun raining outside, as the glow from the figure's eyes reflected on the drops of rain on the window. She hesitated at first to open the window, but as the figure wiped some of the rain drops from the windows she was able to see them clearly.

June opened the window, as Nicholiah stared at her, his short cropped brown hair matted to his head, his eyes staring at her in a most peculiar way.

"Why were you crying?" he said like it was nothing, like it didn't really matter if he was three stories high crouching on a very thin windowsill in the rain. The statement shocked June at first, not knowing how to respond when she had so many questions about how and why he was here in the first place...

"I was just thinking of my family, that's all" she blurted out, not knowing what else really to say. He was very handsome indeed. His eyes burned a pretty ice blue and his physic was lean and muscular as he crouched against the wood of the frame. He looked like a cat about to pounce on the windowsill and June moved to let him in.

"You have to invite me in, old rule for our kind" he said still staring at her from the window.

"You may come in" she whispered. He stepped lightly into the room and she saw he wore no shoes.

"I don't really like them when I go for a run" he said looking down at his dirty feet "I can wipe them off if you like."

June went to get a small towel and handed it to Nicholiah shyly. She didn't want Cora to see the dirty footprints and ask questions. What they were doing was dangerous, a vampire that was not an owner of a human was not supposed to be left alone with them.

"You can talk to me you know" he said also wiping off his drenched head "I think humans have a right to speak, even if my father says they don't."

"Why were you outside my window?" she asked keeping her guard up. He may be a spy for the Eyes and take her to the Farm. Or he could, as she suspected, just be lonely and needing someone to talk to.

"I heard you crying from my room, and since I'm not allowed to talk to you openly, I figured I would at least make sure you were okay" he said as he patted down some of his clothes. He wore boot cut jeans and a black T-shirt that showed off his well made profile.

"Where is your room?" she asked, trying to keep her questions light.

"In the garage, my father gets on my nerves and my mother is smothering me" he said scoffing a little at the mention of his mother.

"Why have you been staring at me lately?" she asked crossing her arms over her chest. She had a right to know since she had now caught him twice looking at her when he thought she didn't notice.

"I was just checking on you" he said shrugging his shoulders "I know how my family is, I was worried honestly. What's your name since we are going back and forth with questions?" he said crossing his arms.

June looked down suddenly, remembering her place. She had spoken so boldly to him, she could be killed for such an offense...

"Oh stop" he said "I was just kidding, you are pretty skittish, but I think that's my mother's fault."

"I just don't want to get in trouble" she said still looking down "I don't want to mess up and ruin it for my little sister. She's all I have left right now. And talking to you probably isn't helping my situation."

"You won't get in trouble, as long as we are away from the Eyes and my parent's, we can talk freely" he said now smiling. He walked towards her and she only glanced at him.

"Hey" he said nudging her head up to his with his hand "Don't be scared, I don't bite" as he wiggling his mouth a bit in a comical way.

Without realizing it, June smiled for the first time she had been at the house. It felt good to feel the warmness in her heart and the crinkle of her skin as her lips moved upwards. Nicholiah smiled even wider "See, that's more like it" he said now letting go of her face.

"Now no more tears tonight? Understand?" he said now halfway out the window.

June didn't even see him move from the spot he was just a second ago. She stared for a moment, disbelieving that he was actually being nice towards her. Vampires so far had been nothing but cruel to her and anyone of her kind, but this guy, he actually seemed...human.

He looked at waiting for her response and she smiled shyly, nodding her head.

"Good girl" he said smiling, and the next second, he was gone. She went quickly towards the window and looked out, trying to catch a glimpse of him as he disappeared into the night.

June sat on the bed, and realized, she was still smiling.


	5. Chapter 5

Cora came in smiling almost dropping her tray of food as she stifled a scream. June lay on the ground, wrapped in covers and blinking in the morning sunshine.

"Dear God I thought you were dead!" she said now laughing and putting down the tray. She helped June to her feet and brushed the sleep off of her.

"Why did you think that?" she said slowly opening and closing her eyes as she fought to stay awake.

"It's just..."Cora said hesitantly "The last girl, she hung herself from the bedpost, and I thought... well it was just a bad memory" she said her eyes cast down. June looked at her and smiled. It wasn't uncommon that Bloodmaid's killed themselves, having to service their Commander's and Wifemate's took a toll on their bodies and mind. It was sweet of Cora to be worried for June.

"Well don't worry, I'm not going anywhere, I'm too tired for a suicide" she said trying to get Cora to smile.

The trick worked as Cora's lips formed a small smile "You have a dark humor about you Miss Offred" she said now giving her an apple. June looked at it and suddenly remembered Nicholiah.

"Cora, why doesn't the Commander want Nicholiah to feed?" June said.

Cora seemed taken aback by the question but decided there was no harm telling her. "He wants Nicholiah to earn his blood. The boy started out as a Guardian, and now he has become an Angel for the Order...but his father thinks very little of him, he wants him to become a Commander like himself. I think only then will he let Nicholiah feed, but by that time he will be old enough to earn his own Wifemate and Bloodmaid."

"An Angel?" June whispered to herself. Angels were the top ranking Guardians of the Order, in service to protecting and keeping the rules of the vampire race. They were the handymen of the Eye's, doing all the leg work that the higher ups wouldn't. It only made June more hesitant to talk to Nicholiah now. He could report her, and then send her away, and then they would take Sarah here and she would be faced with Serena. They could do so much to her, punishment for all of June's offenses against the Order of Gilead. They would them as an example of what happens when you don't follow the rules.

Panic ran through June's body and she desperately wanted to flee and find her sister. She wanted to protect her from the harsh eyes of Serena, and the confusing warmth of the Commander. She decided next time she would encounter Nicholiah she would not speak to him, not even look at him. This was a game and she had to play it right to get ahead and be able to be with Sarah once more.

"By the way, you'll be going out today with another maid, her name is Offglen. You two will be going to the market to pick up some fresh eggs and such since it's one of my days off" Cora said making the bed.

June dressed and put on her cloak, making sure her veil was kept tight over her face. The last thing she needed was some rouge Guardian feeding from her and another maid. A lot of humans died from just that, vampires who couldn't hold their own and were starved for blood. They fed on Bloodmaids, Martha's, and even the occasional Daywife.

Daywives were the tramps of the vampire world, they were such a mixed breed that no one could tell whether they were vampire or human. All people knew were that they needed blood to survive from death, but could eat normal foods.

Some people said that they were close to Martha's, the half-human, half-vampire rank, but some disagreed. Martha's were given a chance into servitude because somewhere in their genetic line their vampire blood was royal, and that meant they had a place in the Order of Gilead. Daywives however, had no place other than the bottom rank.

Daywives could marry, have children, and lead normal lives, very close to how humans lived. They were usually married to a Guardian who also had a very mixed genetic line, since they couldn't marry anyone higher than their rank. Wifemates were the lucky ones, they were pure vampire blood, and depending on how far their lineage went back, they could marry very wealthy and live luxurious and carefree lives. Genetics were a key factor for the vampires. It determined everything in their society, it reminded June of how kings and queens were back in the Medieval times, marrying cousins and strangers alike all to gain more power. Mutts like Daywives and Martha's were looked down on, their blood muddy with the inferior race of humans.

Bloodmaids were always to be respectful of the Wifemates, making sure never to look at them or get in their way. Some Wifemates hated their Bloodmaids, knowing that their husbands wanted them more than their actual wife. That's probably why Serena hated June so; she felt Fredrick needed June more than Serena, his own wife. They lusted after Bloodmaid's for their bodies and the nectar that made them immortal. It made June shiver with the hairs on the back of her neck standing straight up thinking of just what Fredrick wanted from her.

June walked outside, smelling the fresh flowers in the air. Cora had said Serena planted all the flowers and she was advent on gardening at nighttime. She smelt all the beautiful roses, the lilies and daffodils. The green hedges that surrounded the walkway were perfectly cut in squares. June looked up and noticed the cherry blossom trees beginning to blood above her. Serena must have had them specially planted here in the garden since they weren't native to June's hometown.

June glanced down the sidewalk and saw another Bloodmaid come towards her.

"Great Thanks Sister" the girl said, her eyes cast downwards.

"Praise Be" said June "My name is Offred."

"And I am Offglen, pleased to meet you Offred" Offglen said now looking at June through her veil.

"Should we go?" June said putting her hands in her cloak pockets unsure of what was expected of her at the moment.

"Yes, we should" Offglen said taking the lead to the market. June regarded Offglen with a innocent curiosity. It was the first time she was interacting with a Bloodmaid since her time at her Commander's house. She was a bit taller than June, but under her white veil June could see her raven hair framing her dark face. Strange that she should immediately be comfortable with a complete stranger, but they were from the same ether, chosen to do the same task that bonded them in a foreign sisterhood.

They walked past a group of Daywives that nearly scowled at them, calling them whores and worthless. It was ordinary for regular vampires to hate the Bloodmaids, for regular vampires could only drink their rationed blood that was sent to them monthly. Only the wealthy could drink from human's whenever they pleased.

The town she lived in had once seemed so big compared to other cities she had visited. It was on the outskirts of the city of what was once Chicago, the city only about an hour away from her town, and it seemed to be always bustling with people. But now as she and Offglen walked down the sidewalk towards the city market, only the few daywalkers littered the streets. She could see other Bloodmaid's and Martha's heading to the market as well, their robes of green and red contrasting against the dim landscape that had once been flourishing. She bent her head down as another group of Daywives passed her and Offglen.

They hated them because they couldn't have them, and June just sunk her head even lower as they called her names. The market was busy that afternoon, as Martha's and Daywives crowded the streets while Guardian's kept watch over everyone. The marketplace handed out baskets of eggs and cheese to people as they held their hands up high for the freshest batch of food. Some took the food in a rush and left while other's snatched greedily at whatever was handed, leaving some Martha's and Daywives without. Human food was rationed as well, but the vampires at least kept up agriculturally to provide enough food to support their own nutritional needs.

June quickly held her hands up as someone tossed a large fish at her. She caught it perfectly and smiled again at the small accomplishment. Fish were rare in this town, and the salmon she had caught smelled terrible but she knew it was a lucky catch. She hadn't tasted fish for what seemed like a lifetime...

She suddenly felt this overwhelming anger engulf her. She didn't need fish, she needed a gun, she needed a way out. This wasn't normal! This wasn't her life now! She need to get out...

"Good job Offred!" Offglen said carrying a large basket of eggs and Swiss cheese "Your house will be glad to see you've caught them a fine dinner!" Dinner being that June was to eat the fish and her Commander tasting it in her blood.

"Praise Be" June said and put the large fish into her own basket. June also caught a wedge of cheese and some fresh milk before the last of it was snatched away. Finally the two headed away from the large crowd of the market, leaving behind the crazed women to fend for themselves.

"It all must be very new to you" Offglen said as they walked past a couple of Martha's when they were far enough away to speak openly.

"Yes it is, very different from Camp" she said, unsure how much of her feelings she could speak to Offglen.

"I've been with my house for a year now, it gets better, though the Wifemate usually only hits me if I move during the feeding" Offglen said, almost sadly.

"The Wifemate at my house struck me for the first time last night, I don't even know what I did" June said, feeling it was okay to talk about a thing that seemed so normal to them. How awful it was that her being abused was considered the norm. She wondered how many other women and men had it worse than her.

"It must be just a phase with them" she said quietly, now aware they might be overheard by the ever watchful Eyes. The Eyes were probably the worst thing to June; they all dressed in black, had glowing eyes through the dark helmet's they wore, and smelled like sour milk. They were the spies for the Order of Gilead, they were put in charge to keep things in line and take out whoever stood in their way. They had been the one's to capture June and Sarah, the memory of them making the pit in June's stomach grow. What they must have done to Luke, him being the strongest of the group, she did not know.

"Is your family still alive?" June asked. It was such a sad question to her that they had to make sure each other's families were alive, keeping some fragment of hope that if they were given freedom they could have someone there for them. Who would she have to go home to if she was ever released from servitude? Would she have Sarah with her? Good God, what if she didn't?

"Yes, my father is still alive" she said "He lives a long ways away though; his family lets him write me sometimes, though I can never read them myself. My Commander always reads them to me." Another rule, another restriction. Human's had lost the right to read, and to write if they were not told to do so out right. The future children of the human race wouldn't have the skills that were so normalized for those of June's generation. It was like stripping them of everything that made them...well...alive.

"Offred, what is your real name?" she suddenly asked. The question was almost forbidden, humans didn't have individual names, only their owners gave them one. June kept silent, she couldn't risk giving out her name, fearful that the Eyes would hear and both of them would be swept away in one of the large black vans.

"You don't know do you?" Offglen said sadly looking at her "I don't remember my name; I sometimes can't even remember my father's."

God, how could she forget that? June couldn't stop thinking about her siblings, maybe it was her way of always being able to remember them. But sadly June couldn't really remember her parent's names. Tears started to well in June's eyes as she took a deep breath to control herself.

"Maybe someday we will" June said now realizing they were back in the neighborhood.

"Mayday, I know I will" Offglen said whispering.

June looked at her in puzzlement but Offglen just waved at her, signaling that she would speak more of it next time.

June walked in the house and closed the door tightly, making sure that the UV scanner above the door flickered green. She had to be careful when coming in and out of the house, the suns light could sneak through the open door and the UV protected windows could be damaged if any contaminated source came into the house. June knew the sun could kill vampires, tainted blood as well. But the most sure fire way she knew how to kill a vampire was to put a steak right through their heart.

June walked past the staircase and down a long hallway where she heard the sounds of pots and pans clanking together. Inside was a very grand kitchen that made you think it was there for a five star restaurant. Stainless steel cabinets covered the walls while a eight burner stove sat with some pots and pans filled with things that made the air smell wonderful. She could see some coolers in the back when June suddenly jumped at the sound of someone yelling from thin air.

"Well what did you get today?!" a woman suddenly asked loudly as she came from around the corner. She suddenly stopped as she saw June standing there "Oh it's you" she said. The woman looked in her mid- thirties with wild black hair pulled back in a bun. Her eyes reflected a dashing gold in the kitchen light and June knew she was more vampire than anything human, which was probably why she didn't go out in the daylight unlike Cora.

June held up the basket and produced the large fish. "Not too bad human" she said taking the fish in her arms away from June "Fredrick will be pleased with this, salmon is his favorite dish, even though he can't eat much of it, too bad Serena doesn't eat much meat as she should, what's the matter with you?" she said looking to June.

"Oh uh..." June said suddenly realizing she was staring "It's just...you talk about them so non-chalet, it's just unusual from how Cora talks."

"Well it should be" Rita said with a snort "I've been here long enough to call them by their given names. Cora is a nit-wit anyways; her human side made her that way."

June's face got red at the insult to the person she thought a friend and turned to go back upstairs.

"By the way human" Rita said chopping the head off of the fish "Serena wants to see you upstairs, she says you and her need to have a talk. Dinner is at six."


	6. Chapter 6

June walked upstairs, almost shaking in her shoes. Why would Serena want to talk to her? Didn't she already hate her enough? What was she going to do to her this time?

The house seemed so large compared to any June had ever been in. The halls filled with artwork that was surely forbidden for any human to own, with plants that seemed to flourish even if they remained inside. June walked down the eastern hallway till she came to the door she assumed was Serena's based on Rita's directions. She walked towards the door, she knew it was now Serena's by the gaudy decorations all over the door and handle. June knocked lightly and heard Serena's voice tell her to enter.

June stepped into the room and kept her head down. The carpet was gold with little fringes of red shining in the dim candlelight. Her bedroom must have been separate from Fredrick's, as she sat alone on her colossal bed dawned with huge gold pillows and satin. A fireplace crackled as it burned brightly, illuminating the greenery within the room as deep blue curtains sparkled against the firelight.

"Come forward Offred" Serena said beckoning her closer to the bed. She didn't wish to move, but her feet obeyed her none the less. June felt her throat almost close up, she didn't want to be in here, she wanted to run. The Wifemate could do what she wanted with June, and dying didn't seem the best option at the moment, especially by a jealous vampire.

"I know last night I seemed a little...harsh, towards you" Serena started, her posture graceful as she lay against the pillows, lighting a cigarette in her hand "But I have a proposition for you, I will give you my key to your wrist clasp, and allow you another gift, if you let Nicholiah feed from you." June could feel her chest tighten in apprehension, knowing that this was forbidden in every rule book. It didn't matter what Serena wanted, if Fredrick said it was not allowed then it wasn't.

"He is my son, and as a mother it hurts me seeing his father indulge in a perfectly good human and not letting his son taste pure untouched blood, or for heaven's sake you may look up, stop staring at the floor you silly girl" Serena huffed through a cloud of smoke.

June jumped at her change of tone and quickly looked up at Serena. She was dressed in a large black gown that cascaded far to the ground in waves and curves. It made June in awe and slightly jealous, having been cast to a thin hospital gown for the past three years while this woman was always dressed to the nines. Wait, she wasn't a woman...not really. She was a vampire just like the rest of them...

"Now two things are going to happen, you are going to keep quiet about our little discussion and never let Fredrick see that you are giving Nicholiah blood" Serena said staring into June's eyes. June nodded, understanding that it was better for both of them that this remain a secret.

"Second, you will return here afterwards and let me make sure that your skin is healed up so that the Commander doesn't find out, and then I will give you a gift, is that acceptable to your terms?" Serena said inhaling another breathe of smoke.

June contemplated the deal, knowing she would certainly be put to death if Fredrick found out, but if she didn't agree to Serena's terms, she could be sent to the Farm. It would be an easy replacement, for both of them. But who did she fear more, Serena, or Fredrick?

"Yes ma'am" June said deciding, still staring. She was beginning to have a problem with it, staring that is, she couldn't take her eyes of the beauty of Serena, and how luxurious her room was. She could see why Serena would be jealous of June, she was beautiful, smart, and had style, in yet Fredrick kept his sole attention on June at all times.

"Now I have talked to the Guardians and have managed to get the Eyes off of the garden in the back, I told them I didn't like them watching me while I garden, so they agreed to turn the cameras off for one hour. For that one hour you are to go into the garage and let Nicholiah feed, then return here before they turn them back on again, understood?" she said now standing up.

June only nodded her head. She had probably just made a deal with the devil, but better the devil you know...

"Good" Serena said now going over to a little box by her grand dresser. "I'll start you off with this, and later you will get more things once you have fed Nicholiah, but remember, the Commander must never know about this."

Serena came towards June and genuinely smiled the first she had done since June had arrived. "I received this picture a few weeks ago, it's of your sister Sarah, I know the family she's staying with, they have been long time friends of mine, so I'll be able to give you information on her sometimes as long as you keep up with our arrangement."

June quickly grabbed the photograph out of Serena's hand. She didn't mean to move so quickly, but the thought of her sister sent June into a wild frenzy. June looked to the picture and smiled like a mad man. There was her sister, holding hands with another woman and two children also smiling, their teeth normal human teeth, which made June happy that she was around other human children. But the thing that caught her eye was that tucked under Sarah's arm, was the elephant.

"She remembers me" June whispered, happy that her sister had not completely forgotten her.

"Of course she does, I have made it a point to keep it that way" Serena said almost in a belittling manner "But if you mess up, or you tell Fredrick anything, you will lose her and I'll be sure that you will never see the light of day again. This is too important; my son is the only thing I have left since Fredrick has found...other things to grab his attention."

June casted her eyes down again, ashamed she had taken away someone without even knowing. She had never been accused of being a homewrecker, not even when Kelsey Carmichael got pissed at her for dating Tyler McMurphey after the IT couple had broken up over that summer. She had always kept to herself, had been nice and friendly to just about everyone. It helped to be friendly, you didn't make enemies as fast, although you still made them. Some people as June found out, just wanted someone to hate. She had been on the blunt end of that stick once or twice, but now, it felt so much worse.

"Oh don't worry, it's not your fault" Serena said touching June's face "You are pretty, it's hard for me to even dislike you a little bit, and I know you are a good girl. It's just him; he has always been the problem. Do you want to know why he picked you?"

June nodded her head, her eyes staring into Serena's dark reflective eyes. "It's because when Fredrick was young, he was engaged to a young girl named Arista. My dear, you could be her twin. But sadly, she fell victim to the plague and Fredrick lost her forever, it was then I found him and brought him back to life with my gift. I am far older than him, yet I still act like a jealous school girl around him with other women."

She understood now, why Fredrick held her the way he did, why he spoke to her lovingly in yet enslaved others. She was special, in a way at least to him, and her heart hurt that he was choosing her over Serena, who seemed cold but had a reason to.

"You may leave now" Serena said going back to her bed "The sun is not down all the way yet, tomorrow night when we feed, I will be a bit gentler than last time. And afterwards, you will go to Nicholiah. Now go, I am tired."

June walked out the door with the picture in hand and went to her room. She was glad that in some way, she was still close to Sarah, and could at least see she was happy. June took off her cloak and sat by the window, enjoying the sunset through the sliver of glass. She put Sarah's picture under her pillow, a treat for her to look at later when she felt restless. This could work, she could make Serena happy, and maybe she would be given enough freedom to try and escape.

As night fell, June heard footsteps coming towards her door. June figured it was Cora, when suddenly the footsteps stopped short of the door. June turned around and saw the door handle nudge open slightly.

"May I come in?" Fredrick's voice said through the crack of the door.

"I don't think that's such a good idea" June whispered, her panic taking over conduct at his intrusion "Serena might hear you."

"Serena and Rita are out tonight, and Cora took Nicholiah to get the car looked at, it's just me here" he said motioning for him to be allowed entry.

"You may come in" she said now a bit louder knowing that no one was home but made the pit of her stomach turn, never wanting to really be alone with her owner. Owner, what a fucking lunatic concept that she would ever be owned by somebody other than herself. But here she was, dressed in the colors that said she was someone else's and never her own.

"Thank you" he said very gallantly "I hope you have been enjoying the apples, your blood has tasted sweeter since."

"Great Thanks Commander" she said now looking away from him, the words barely getting out through her clenched jaw. He came and sat beside her on the bed, her body going stiff at his nearness. He seemed agitated, the aura of his body giving off tense vibes that made June nervous to speak up. He could do anything to her if he wanted, in yet he didn't touch her as they sat in silence for a few moments.

"Are you unwell Commander?" she said with a small clear of her throat.

"It has been a long day. Rebels are outside of the border of Gilead, they plan to bomb us with ultra violet technology and rescue the humans. But I wonder what they will do to the half-breeds, will they consider them humans, or turn on them because of their vampire blood?... You may speak freely to me, I come here for company" he said as June sighed a little in relief.

"I think that they will treat the half breeds as humans. We are kind towards them, I think. At least I am with Cora, I know she is party human, so I accept her as I would accept anyone of my kind" June said considering her thoughts after a moment. She was giving him her opinion, which could be dangerous if she wasn't careful.

"I am glad for that" Fredrick said with a sigh "I never meant for it to get like this. I wanted humans to respect us, not fear us. I wanted my race to have a place in this world, but things got so out of hand. Now we hold a greater power than I ever thought we would, but I fear our grand ascension to power will come with consequence. Your race is dying Offred, and we are having trouble controlling kind...they have even found a way for vampires to turn back to being mortal...It's very trying to keep balance in this new world."

"What are you going to do?" June asked suddenly, not hearing any of this news while she was in the Flesh Camp. She wondered if maybe there was actual hope that she could get away, maybe the rebellion would come from the city to here...

"I think we are going to try and find a different source of food, at least that's what I'm trying to do, until the human population blood isn't ideal, but it's better than wasting humans like we have been. We leave you alone to reproduce, and then take you back into our homes. Though I don't think I want you in that situation, you are mine, and my fear is others will feel that way too."

June heard him and felt resignation in her chest. He talked about humans like they were just objects, tools to be used for whatever means necessary...

"Serena said I remind you of someone" June said, fearing she was saying too much by telling him she had spoken to Serena. But the question flew by without him getting too deep into it.

"Yes, Arista, she was the beauty of my town. Everyone longed to see her wed a wealthy man, but she chose me" he said, his eyes glazing over with the memory "A poor boy that loved books and made horseshoes. She chose me over everyone, and our love was as pure as the rain" He bent his head down "But the plague loved her beauty as well, and my love was swept out of my arms by death's grip, and I wandered the earth looking for her soul."

June looked at him with pity, his voice was so poetic and she could feel the sadness in his voice dripping like the wet tears that he couldn't produce. Vampires didn't cry, at least not like humans did. They're tears were blood, the same that flowed through her own veins.

Fredrick looked to June "And then you came along, and it seemed like the colors came back into the world again. That is why you are here, why you were chosen. I knew you wouldn't come unless I helped out your sister as well, so I made sure she was kept safe and happy by close friends. And I know your true name, although in my head I'm afraid I call you her name."

He bent towards her, his lips almost pressing to hers. June couldn't move, she knew if she did she would offend him and she was too scared of punishment.

June let him run his fingers through her hair and put his hand over her face. The old familiar smell of him crept up into her nose and she tried not to pull away. He looked so young; although she knew he was decades older than her, and he spoke to her like a lost loved one.

"Arista" he whispered as he gently laid a kiss on her lips. June didn't let her lips respond, but hold still as he pressed his own lips against her. She clenched her fists, wanting to push him away and scream at him. But to defy was to die, to not allow was to give up, she had to do this, had to let him have her.

June held her breathe, letting the kiss last for as long as he wanted "Forgive me, I couldn't help myself" Fredrick said turning away, ashamed he had stolen a kiss from her "I am much too old for you, and I don't want to further Serena's jealousy of you. I will leave you be now, but I do have a gift."

Fredrick pulled a small book from his suit jacket. "It's called Sense and Sensibility, one of the many books I've read. I do love Jane Austen, she reminds me of my younger days in that time. I hope you will enjoy it." June was surprised that he would give her such a gift. The vampires had taken even the right to read from humans, a way of making the humans even more susceptible to slavery.

He set the book down beside June, and suddenly disappeared. June didn't even see him go, and she was beginning to get tired of this rushing around without her seeing it. Vampires moved awfully fast, and she was having trouble keeping up with it.

June sat down and picked up the book. It's smooth leather made June close her eyes and remember the old books her father used to read her as a child. Her father, he had been the pillar of their family. Always kind, soft spoken but firm when he was angry. So different than any of June's other friends fathers. Her father had been a volunteer fireman at sixteen, and a nurse like her mother. They both had such a good humor, always laughing at the small stuff...

She opened her eyes back up and looked at the inside of the book, its fine letters neatly scribbled. It must have been an original copy, and June felt even more strange for having such a treasured gift.

The rest of the night went by slowly, and June read tucked in the covers of her bed. When she finally saw a hint of sun come through the window, she decided she better rest, for tomorrow she would betray Fredrick, and feed Nicholiah.


	7. Chapter 7

Cora must have opened the window to her room as June woke up with a breeze brushing along her face. The nighttime air reminded her that tonight she was to go to Nicholiah. June felt almost regret at deciding to go along with it but knew she would never see another glimpse of Sarah again. She had made a deal, and Serena held the upper hand in this deal.

 _"I just won't speak to him. I'll just let it happen and then leave, Serena will be the one to be punished as long as I don't break any rules around Nicholiah. I can't trust him if he's an Angel..._ " she thought to herself. She quickly got dressed and headed downstairs for the feeding.

Serena was laughing when she entered and quickly came over to June. The change of Serena nearly took June aback and as she kissed her on the cheek and led her to the chair. Fredrick stared in suspicion at Serena's change towards June and quickly narrowed his eyes at the two.

"What are you up to Serena?" Fredrick said with a slight darkness to his tone.

"Nothing my love" Serena said with a smile "Offred and I had a little talk the other night.

You are right, she is very special indeed, and I intend to treat her so, is that so bad?"

Fredrick seemed to relax a little, but was not fully convinced that Serena wasn't planning on harming June. June sat at the chair and let both of them unclasp her wrist bands. Fredrick smiled up at her and June gave a small smile back as Fredrick began to feed from her. Serena waited patiently beside Fredrick, her hand moving slow as she unclasped the metal from June's wrists.

It didn't hurt as bad as the first time, although her heart rate still increased at the rush of pain, it felt more sore than anything as her veins now felt it was time to pump more blood through her system. This was how human's reacted after consistency. This was to be the normal for them, this was what they were good for, and their body made it so.

Serena looked into June's eyes with determination, knowing that she must conserve her strength enough to feed her son. She bit down gently and took June's blood as if sipping expensive wine.

June sat, her eyes closed, letting the two feed from her. Both of them were so gentle on her, June felt almost glad she was in a house where they were not greedy for blood. Serena finished quickly as always and licked up the remaining blood. She gently clasped the wrist band shut while still looking towards Fredrick making sure he was preoccupied with June.

Serena looked back at June and flashed the key to her on the inside of her palm. She slid it inside June's shoe and sat up brushing her long blue skirts of any dust from the rug and floor. "Done already my pet?" Fredrick said looking up at her quickly, his mouth still stained with blood. June panicked at the sight, his bloody face horrid against his pale skin. She had to bite back a scream at his figure hunched over her own wrist.

"Yes darling, I feel very tired at the moment, and Offred needs her rest" Serena said smiling. Fredrick went back to June's wrist and drunk heavily from her. Serena only winked her way and left the room quietly. It was now just the two of them, as Fredrick became more lax in his feeding and gently snaked his way up June's hips, wrapping them up in his arm as he pulled her close. June had to go where he wanted, her wrist still being attacked by him. She wanted to kick him straight where the sun didn't shine, her mind tired of his constant fondling whenever he pleased. Soon though, his mouth unlatched from her and he licked her wound clean, sealing in up.

"I don't know what she's up to" Fredrick said now finished with his feeding "But as long as you are not in harm's way, I don't really give a damn what she does."

"I think she understands why you like me" June said without realizing she spoke out of turn. Fredrick clasped the wrist band over her arm and looked up into June's eyes. She could kick herself for speaking out of turn again.

"And what do you mean by that?" he said. He looked very intimidating that evening. His red button up shirt was made of satin and his black pinstripe pants made him straight out of the Gothic era.

"I just mean...she knows about Arista and well...she said I could be her twin. I think she understands now, and I think she knows I don't plan to steal you away..." June said hesitantly, not wanting to offend him in any way. She had already been a blabber mouth for one night, she didn't need to make it any worse.

"You don't?" he said smiling. June blushed at his words and Fredrick nearly laughed. "She is right, you are practically her twin, except for your eyes...Arista had green eyes, but yours...they are gray. They remind me that you are not her, not matter how much I want you to be."

Fredrick stood up suddenly and headed towards the door. "You had better get some sleep now my love...I plan to take you out tomorrow" he said as he turned to her and then left the room. June sneered at his words. HIS love? She wasn't anyone's! She was hers and hers alone!

June sat for a minute, regaining her strength. Neither of them had completely fed from her, so she had some energy to sit up and head out the door on her own.

She went to the garden door and waited for the lights of the camera's to blink red, one being at the corner of the house while another looked over the gardens. June waited for the sign and quickly headed out the door as soon as the red light flashed.

The garage door was almost bolted down, someone didn't want anyone to be getting in. It felt like it was bolted at the top, middle, and bottom, her shoves pitiful against the hard wood. Risking making a noise she quickly picked up a rock and chucked it at the window of the garage. A figure's shadow was seen as June looked up at Nicholiah staring down at her with a confused expression. She motioned for him to open the door and in the next second he had vanished. A light suddenly flashed on and she could hear footsteps leading down to the door.

She could hear the bolts of the doors unclick and Nicholiah stuck his head out of the door and stared at her.

"What are you doing?" he said in a hushed tone.

"Your mother sent me, now let me in" she said desperately not wanting the camera's to turn back on. She pushed past him, her breath tight in her chest as she stood in the dark of the garage.

He shut the door, bolting all the locks behind him. He seemed bewildered and concerned at how she just came in, his ice blue eyes regarding her for a moment before June became uncomfortable.

"Why do you keep so many locks on the door?" she suddenly asked.

"There's a lot of contraband shit in here and I don't need the Eyes seeing it" he said motioning to the cameras as he moved towards the stairs. It was a well-built garage as June spotted the various cars Fredrick must have collected over the years. She saw old Ford models, and some sports cars that no doubt had been obtained through the repossessing when the vampires had began harvesting humans. Humans didn't need cars after all, they didn't need anything...

As she got to the top of the stairs she realized Nicholiah was right, there was a lot of illegal things in his room. Posters from riots decorated the walls while old human photographs were spread across what looked like a work desk. A lone couch, which June suspected Nicholiah slept on, was in the center of the room facing a TV with all kinds of wires hooked up to it. The walls from what June could make out among the posters were sturdy wood, the smell of the place like fresh pine. She could faintly smell incense in the air and wondered if Nicholiah smoked like his mother did.

"You won't tell anyone about this will you?" Nicholiah said getting some water from a nearby faucet. June shook her head and took the glass from his extended hand, her eyes taking in the room with awe. Nicholiah was either incredibly brave for being against his kind, or incredibly stupid. She still hadn't figured out which as she took a sip from the cup.

"My father hasn't been in here for years, if he saw any of this well...you could say I'm shit out of luck" he said with a small grimace.

"Why do you have all of this?" June said now looking even more closely at the pictures and posters. She could hear faint music in the background, a punk style of music that was surely forbidden in Gilead. Any form of protest or rioting was punishable by death and Nicholiah risked a great deal having everything in plain sight. But here it all was, signs from the very beginning when the government had blamed terrorists for the attacks, newspaper clippings from the black vans kidnapping humans, the pamphlets that were handed out to stand up and rise against those that would put the humans into slavery...

"I have it because I was there, all these riots I attended. My father may have made this country what he thought it could be, but he's wrong, they all are. A rat in a maze is free to go wherever it pleases as long as it doesn't leave the maze. That's what's happened to your kind, they've put you in the maze, and if you were to leave they wouldn't be able to get you all back. Humans have rights and you shouldn't be sold into slavery for your blood. There are different resources we could use other than you, the whole system is fucked up" he said looking at all the posters on the wall. One of the posters read out in big red letters "Nolite To Bastardes Carborundorum."

"Its funny if you know Latin" he said with a chuckle "It means don't let the bastards grind you down."

"And these?" she said holding up a picture of a couple sitting on a swing. It was a very old photograph, as its sun bleached stained the color and small burn marks touched the edges.

"Memories of victims. I think I can keep them alive if I keep their photograph, it helps me think that their story will still live on even if I don't know who they are. I broke into an information office and found a bunch of these pictures. Someone was trying to destroy them, to throw away a person's past, but I saved them" he said smiling and looking at her. June smiled back at him, it felt natural to do so. Nicholiah didn't seem like the type to be breaking into things, he looked like an uppity yacht club member with a bad boy haircut. But instead he was the complete opposite, a good guy with a good heart, even if many would say he was suicidal. At this time suicidal seemed hopeful, like sap growing in a tree, like blood from an open wound. It made it rise inside herself, like hope had been almost gone.

June felt great warmth grow in her heart, he cared, when so many didn't. He cared for her kind and he was fighting for it. He saw what she did, how wrong everyone was, how it could spoke with passion and justice that made June's strength grow inside herself. Here was someone she could fight with, here was someone she could potentially trust...

"So why are you here?" he finally asked, getting off the subject of his illegal behavior as he crossed over to her in front of the pictures of strangers June would never meet. She backed against a table steadily, knowing he wouldn't like what she was going to say now.

"You have to feed from me tonight, and we better hurry.I only have an hour and I need to get back to the house before the camera's come back on" she said taking the key from out of her shoe, wanting to avoid fighting with him about the subject. She held the key out to him but he refused to take it from her hand.

"And my mother sent you to do this?" he said with a scowl "She babies me too much sometimes, if I wanted blood from you, I would have taken it a long time ago" he said with a frustrated sigh.

"Please Nicholiah" she said almost in pain "If you don't your mother will keep things away from me. She promised she would give me pictures of my sister! To let me know how she's doing, I even think I may see her! So please, Nicholiah for my sake, do this for me!" she finished with a few tears threatening to stream down her face.

Nicholiah looked at her with wide eyes, taking in the information she had given him. He sighed as he made his decision, those piercing eyes of his focusing on her with intent.

" Can you call me Nico? I hate my full name. I just want you to call me..." he said softly, his voice ragged in the air.

June almost stuttered at the change of his appearance. No longer did he look like a wild animal, but now like a wounded one. He didn't want to feed from her...it was the first time she had come across somebody that didn't. And he asked her to say his name, he asked her. Vampires didn't ask humans for anything, but he was treating her like an equal. Like a human being. And that name, not so old and formal, but more modern to her ears. Nee-ko. She liked the sound of it in her head.

"Nico" she said very quietly, watching his reaction to her words. She felt some kind of power of him, his body melting from ice to fire before her eyes as his eyes were half lidded like he was drunk on the sound. Yes, she liked calling him that. She liked that name far better...

He suddenly smiled and came forward towards her, the air between them growing tight as June held her breath with his nearing body. It made her tremble, being this close to him, their chests almost touching as she felt his hot breath against her face. She had never been one to be weak in the knees for a pretty face and a charming smile, but being around Nico made her feel...excited..

"I love it when you say my name like that" he said very quietly against her ear making her shiver in a not so terrible way. Nico slipped the key from June's hand and twisted it in the keyhole of her clasp.

"Are you sure it's alright?" he said looking at her straight in the eyes, hesitant even if had already gotten closer than anyone would dare at this point "I need to know that you are okay with this, for real."

"Yes, it is okay" she said, her voice heavy that surprised her hearing it out loud.

He pulled her wrist up to his mouth, his eyes staring at her the whole time as he bit gently into her skin. His lips were soft, so soft that she closed her eyes thinking about how they would feel other than her wrist, his scent heavy in her nose as she drank him in as he did her. Those cheekbones of his nuzzled against her hand and she instinctively rubbed her fingers against his temple and into his hair that dropped down across his eyes. He hummed against her wrist, a motion that made here eyes fly open, realizing that she was doing things she really shouldn't. But the touch only made Nico more hungry, his fangs deepening inside her wrists, her blood dripping down her forearm as she tried to steady herself against the desk with the pictures of tried to stay upright as he drank from her viciously and her knees began to wobble. Her head felt light and she was afraid she was going to faint. June had lost too much blood tonight, and her body was weakening very fast. She tried to let out a warning before her eyes rolled in the back of her head and she swayed forward.

"Oh God Offred!" Nico said letting go of her wrist as she collapsed in his arms.

"Have to...get...in house...Serena...the key" June said weakly as Nico tried to take her in his arms. She was almost dead weight to him and he finally got her body in a position where he could carry her as he held her bridal style against his chest.

Nico looked out the door quickly and shot across the garden. His animal like grip clasped at the edges of the house and scaled up to June's window. He skillfully opened the window and gently lay June on her bed.

June fluttered her eyes open as he licked up the remaining blood from her wrist and closed the clasp tightly. " Tell me you are okay? he whispered to her softly. June wanted to reassure him that she was, that she was just tired, but her hand only found his face as she stroked it gently, her pulse slow as she felt the shaved sides of his head and then back to the smooth locks that hung down now over his face. His eyes were wide and worried as he held her hand and pressed a kiss against her palm.

June only nodded and smiled at him. "I'm sorry I wasn't strong tonight" she said peacefully wanting to go to sleep. "It's not your fault, you shouldn't have to give me blood" he said sitting beside her for a moment before getting up to go get Serena to heal her.

A couple minutes later Serena appeared beside her and checked the wound. Seeing that no harm was done and examining Nico was well fed, she smiled down at June and gave her another photograph that she tucked underneath her pillow.

As June fell into a peaceful sleep, she could hear Nico and Serena talk to each other outside her door faintly, Nico's voice being audibly upset at the turn of events.

"It's not right mother, she doesn't deserve this!" she could hear Nico say loudly.

"Shhh...of course she deserves it, you are my son,more than worthy of any human girl" Serena said cooly.

"I will not drink from her like this! She has no strength when you and father feed from her! There are different ways and I will not kill this girl just because you want me to be fed! he said with venom in his voice now.

"Fine...fine...my love if that's what you want...then you can have her any night you wish. Just leave a note to me and I will give it to her. I love you my only one, I just want what's best for you" Serena said gently to placate her son.

"Mother stop...just" he gave a small sigh "Things need to change."


	8. Chapter 8

June woke up groggy, her hair matted to her skull as her eyes were puffy when she tried to open them, her body was barely able to move. Cora came in as usual and felt her head. "Oh dear" she said "You are very weak, you have a terrible fever Miss Offred...I should get Madam Serena." June suddenly grabbed Cora's arm and looked at her with hollow eyes.

"Please, don't get anyone, I'm fine..." June barely whispered. Cora looked at her with concern and sat her up on the bed. That morning Cora hand fed June, making small pieces of food and giving them to June. She could barely move, her wrists stung with pain and her legs felt like jelly.

"Maybe some fresh air will help you" Cora said brushing June's damp hair. All night had been nothing but nightmares for June, and her eyes began to show signs of wear and tear. She looked in the mirror and saw her eyes were now darker, the shadows around them making her look like a ghoul. Her skin had become even paler, the rosy flesh she once had now barely pink against the light. Her lips were chapped and were almost breaking, while he hair was tangled and a mess from fever dreams.

Cora opened the window and left quietly, letting June rest for the day. June felt the breeze brush against her and closed her eyes, remembering summer days as a child running through the country side. Her parent's always took her and Luke, before Sarah was born, to the country where June's aunt and uncle lived. It was a white farmhouse that she used to wait to see through the window when they would drive out there. The hills hid so many things, but she knew the hill that would eventually descend and show her uncle's house. He raised horses and pigs, both very exciting things for June and Luke to pet as young children. Her aunt had rescue dogs she would allow to roam free through the property, a fun treat for June when the dogs would have puppies that she could easily catch and snuggle.

She would spend many afternoons running through the golden fields and playing with Luke. He was so exciting back then, always protecting shy little June from any danger that crossed their paths. And now, here she was, trying to protect herself but never able to.

"Oh Luke..." June whispered remembering her brother. She could barely make out his face, just his long shaggy blonde hair and his smile...the rest was just a shadow...a shade in the mist of her past. Why did she allow herself to forget? Why did humans lose their memories so easily now? June had guessed it was because of their blood, their essence of life that was taken from them. Not only did the vampires take away their freedom, their hope, their lives, but the life source that came from within them was also being drained. Memories of the past, of loved ones, they were slowly fading away just like their own bodies...

"You look terrible" Nico suddenly said staring at her from the window. It was sunset, the few remaining tendrils of light flickering in from the window glass.

"I feel terrible" June said not caring at that moment to keep her mouth shut "I'm going to die here if this doesn't stop."

Nico seemed distressed at the comment "Is there anything I can do?" he said gently beside her now.

"I wish you would quit doing that" June said slowly, her voice harsh from her sore throat.

"Stop doing what?" Nico said crouching down beside her so she wouldn't have to talk loud.

"Moving so fast...It hurts my head" she said putting the back of her hand against her pounding head. She looked already dead, her long hair spread out away from her as she curled up in a ball on the bed, the blankets being thrown around the floor in a daze.

"I'm sorry" he said "It's sort of a reflex...I'm still not used to it yet, I'll try and slow it down for you."

"Thanks. Why can you go in the daylight?" she said suddenly. She was being very blunt from not feeling well. Part of it was from exhaustion, another from just being comfortable in Nico's presence. The other night had changed something within her, although she didn't fully trust him, she knew he would not harm her. It was a gut feeling, and she had always trusted that over everything else.

Nico was taken aback by the question, but he knew she had to know. She had seen him in the day and it was time she should know why. If she was to trust him, she needed to know him, and then only maybe she would allow herself to let him know her.

"I'm not really the Commander's son" he said quietly.

June looked at him, her eyes bloodshot and her skin pale. "What do you mean?" she said.

"I mean my mother hasn't been faithful to my father...a long time ago she met a man...a human man she met when she was living in Russia. She fell in love with him and I was born...because she is one of the oldest vampires in existence I am more vampire than human. That's how genetics work with our kind, the older you are the more power you have, but there are some things I can do that she can't. I can go out in daylight...but only for a little while" he said taking June's hand in his. June looked down at their hands intertwined. How long had he been hiding this? How long did he keep his mothers secrets? He had not told anyone this in all his life and now he seemed to want to spill it out to her.

"How longs a little while?" June said.

"Maybe a couple of hours, my longest time has been six hours. I can also eat regular food" he said staring into her eyes. They seemed desperate for acceptance, for any kind of sign from her that she was alright with this knowledge.

"You really are different aren't you?" she said with a smirk.

"I try all the time to fit in" he said with a sigh "When I was younger I tried to be the best for Fredrick, knowing the influence he had over my mother. But I was always just a...disappointment."

"I don't think you are a disappointment" she said gently "And I don't think your mother does either. I like that you aren't like everyone else. Every vampire I've ever met only wants something from me. You are the first I've met that hasn't asked a thing from me."

"I can tell you've given enough of yourself" he said looking away "It wouldn't be right for me to ask anything from you."

"You could though" she said almost whispering.

"Only if you wanted me to ask" he said looking right at her now, not just at her body, but through it that made her feel naked without even taking off her clothes.

"Only if I wanted you..." she began before a shiver racked her body. Nico held her for a moment before she was okay again.

"I'm sorry" she mumbled, wanting for this sickness to be over with.

"It's alright" he said brushing her hair from her face "I've seen a lot worse looking people at rallies over the years."

Suddenly June remembered his room and all the posters. "You went to a lot of them didn't you?"

"Every single one" he said now more serious " I overheard my father is taking you out, even if you are ill he won't hesitate to show you off. I don't want you to go but I know you have to...Will you come to my room to see me afterwards..."

June began to get wide eyed at the thought of him feeding from her again.

"Oh no, no feeding" he said holding a hand up "I just want to make sure nothing happens to you."

June smiled and took his hand in hers, the first time she had made contact with someone on her own terms. Nico stared at his hand then back to her, a small confident smile spreading across his face. He rested his hand on her damp face as she stared at him with gentle eyes. It felt, real, whatever it was between them. Something she had not felt in so long, so strange and foreign that she immediately thought it to be danger. But the more time she spent with Nico, the more that feeling became more apparent on it's true self.

"Now get some rest" he whispered and landed a kiss on her forehead. The move seemed to stun June in her place and she watched in almost a paralysis as Nico jumped from her window and left her with nothing but the breeze.

"Time for a bath Offred!" Cora said happily carrying towels in her arms as she opened the door. June almost felt glad that she was here; she was getting tired of going back and forth between Nico, Serena, and Fredrick. It was good to see someone completely oblivious to her situation that would take her mind off the heavy questions she held lately.

The bath water steamed and June soaked her foot in before plunging her whole body into the water. Cora laughed at her and began getting soaps and things ready for June. After a little while June's fever had finally broke, a relieved sigh escaping her and Cora both.

June sunk in the large tub full of bubbles that thankfully covered her body. June felt almost too exposed as Cora dripped soap and shampoo on her hair and began lathering it in. "You know I can do that myself" June said with a sad smile "I'm not that weak."

"Oh I know, but the Commander told me specifically to scrub you down head from toe, and from the looks of you this morning, I saw you needed a little bit of TLC" Cora said now scrubbing June's arm.

"Thank you Cora...you are a good friend" June said closing her eyes, not thinking about the weight her words had just put into the air.

Cora seemed to stop at the word "Don't say such things Offred" she whispered "Martha's cannot be friends with Bloodmaids, only acquaintances in servitude."

June suddenly realized they were different ranks, and the Eyes might be listening, even in the bathroom.

"Forgive me Cora... I did not mean to speak out loud" June said saddened again by the reality of her life.

"You are forgiven" Cora said taking care to washing June's hands.

After the bath, Cora went to the door to let June dry off in privacy. Before she went she looked around to make sure no one was at the window or outside the door. Carefully she closed the window to make it seem more natural in her actions.

"Just between us Offred...you are a good friend too" she said with a smile and then quickly left.

June walked out and found a sparkling black dress lying on her bed. A note was attached to its glimmering bodice and June quickly read it. "Wear this tonight for me-Fredrick."

She felt like writing a note back to him telling him to go to hell, but the idea had to quickly leave her mind as she picked up the garment and dressed in it. She could rip the fabric to shreds, but it wouldn't do any good. Fredrick would probably have her go with him naked if it was up to him. Which it was...

June dressed in the mirror and saw she looked like a queen. The dress hugged her closely and made her eyes sparkle in the candlelight. Cora entered the room and started to dress up June's hair with pearls and diamonds. She was looking like some actress that June had seen going to gala's and movie premiers in magazines she used to read as a teenager. It was strange to see her so dressed up compared to the meekness she was supposed to wear against her skin. Vanity was a sin, and humans were even vainer than some vampires...

"Cora, do you know where he's taking me?" she looked at the girl, knowing that she was going to lie to her.

"No miss I don't" Cora said through hushed lips.

"Where is Serena?" she said feeling scared the female vampire would snatch her away and beat her for going with Fredrick. Even if it was by her choice or not.

"Out with the other Wifemates" Cora said now finishing June's hair. She had made the curls almost perfectly drop to one side of June's face and accent her bare shoulders.

"He's waiting in the Ceremony room, you had better hurry" Cora said quickly and left the room. June stared at herself in the mirror. What was she becoming? No longer did her tan skin show, only a white glow like the moon. Her hair seemed lighter and her eyes dark like a stormy night. She did not look herself in the glamorous dress and she felt very uncomfortable.

June walked downstairs, her feet clasped in black stilettos that were also provided for her. As she reached the door to the Ceremony room she hesitated. There was the front door, wide open for her to just run, she could leave this place... she could run and find Sarah and make for the border.

"But what about Nico?" her head suddenly said. She quickly dismissed the thought and remembered that Nico may be part human, but he was still almost fully a vampire and could not be trusted, at least not fully, not yet.

June grabbed the door handle and sighed. She knew she couldn't run, she would be caught within hours, maybe days, and then she would be away from Sarah and put her at even more danger. Everything relied on her getting away and staying away. It would do nobody any good if she were to escape just to wind up getting caught again.

June walked into the room and saw Fredrick standing by the open fire. He was dressed in a black tuxedo with a white scarf hanging over his shoulders. He turned to June and smiled. "Arista" he said softly. June looked to him with wide eyes, his long wavy hair was tied back and his eyes drank in her figure as she approached him dutifully.

"I hope you don't mind me calling you that" Fredrick said walking towards her "It's just so easier for my memory... I do hope you understand."

June knew her true name and smiled at him. Her contempt for the vampire was growing stronger. Not only did he use her and take away her name, now he was replacing her very soul with someone else's. If she was to ever gain any freedom, it was with Fredrick, and she had to play the part to win it.

"Arista is fine by me" June said softly and Fredrick smiled at her.

"Now come along my pet, we have a wonderful evening ahead of us" he said taking her arm. And out into the town they went, the vampire, and his mistress for the night.


	9. Chapter 9

June walked with Fredrick to the limo and sat beside him as they started to move forward. It seemed like hours to June but it was probably minutes as the car halted slowly to a stop before Fredrick moved forward towards her.

"I'm sorry to have to do this but you need to get down on the floor" Fredrick suddenly said pushing June down. June began to shake, not knowing what was going on until she saw the flashing lights.

It was an Angel troupe, guarding off sectors of the city of what was once Chicago. " Just going out for some fresh air Sergeant " Fredrick said smoothly as he pressed the button to allow the window to roll down to the guards outside.

"Let the Commander by!" one of the Angel's shouted and waved them past the guard post. If they had seen June, the Angels might have attacked. There had been stories of the Angels taking over cars with human slaves, leaving no survivors to actually confirm or deny. The blood lust was getting worse day by day from the way Cora had talked to June. Vampires were becoming weak from hunger and those with Bloodmaids had to protect them.

June sat back up and smoothed out her dress. "That looks lovely on you by the way" Fredrick said pouring some champagne into a glass. June politely nodded, trying to keep her head down so she wouldn't have to look at him for a long period of time.

"Here, take this" he said handing her the glass. June gladly took it and drank up, her nerves were beginning to break and she was going to need a lot of courage to go through with this. She hadn't tasted alcohol in years, her days of high school parties and some frat boy celebrations far behind her it seemed. The drink was strong and it dulled her senses enough to breathe deeply.

They drove into the city, the lights flashing by June so fast she could barely make out where they were coming from. The skyscrapers seemed like monoliths, gods of their own nature standing high above all the chaos below. The streets, once filled with people, seemed nearly empty compared to before. There were still people walking along the sides, but they weren't actually people. They were the undead. June had to keep reminding herself that they were not like her, that they never would be. Soon they pulled up and she could hear the sound of music playing outside the streets. It was an orchestra outside of a grand theater with lights pulsating around the marquee.

"This was one of the first opera houses I went to when I came to this country. I was just a fledgling back then, entrapped within the culture of America and all it's wonders" Fredrick said as the door opened "We are going to see one of my favorite opera's,I hope you will enjoy it." He extended his hand to her and she placed it there gently. June couldn't help but feel curious. She had never been to a real opera before, her experience in the performing arts very limited from times spent studying. She had wanted to be a therapist at one point, and tried to focus on that goal while everyone else had lived in the few free years that they had. She looked over at Fredrick for a moment, and wished she was attending such an event with anyone else except the thing that was currently enslaving her.

He looked so tall and grand to her, that she lowered her eyes away from the crowd around the theater doors. Everyone knew who Fredrick was apparently by their stares, he after all had to be a prominent figure in the government to achieve such luxuries of life, but nobody knew her. They must have wondered what he was doing at the theater without his Wifemate, and June began to panic. What if Serena found out? What if she was taken away from Fredrick and used at some other household? How could she get away? Would Nicholiah come looking for her if she did go missing?

Suddenly she looked up and saw that all the men were vampires, their reflective eyes shining in the dim lamplight inside the opera house, in yet all the women at their side were not. Some of them were Daywives, as their two colored eyes stared at her and the other were just normal human girls, like her. This wasn't an ordinary event, this was something special. She suddenly felt sick to her stomach, knowing now that the vampires were using the female women not only for food, but for much more sinister needs. She felt dirty being beside Fredrick, like a whore of Babylon parading around with a king.

June looked around with disdain, quickly having to check her facial features as she looked to Fredrick. He only smiled at her and led the way to the doors that led towards the ticket booth and information.

"Ahh Commander, good to see you, I see you have company!" the ticket master at the window said flashing a fanged smile "Here are your tickets; you have the first booth, second floor."

"Great Thanks" Fredrick said smoothly, and led June into the beautiful old theater. The walls were a deep gold that seemed to rocket above her, the stage in front massive with a deep red curtain separating her from the actors that were surely behind it getting ready for the performance. Many people must have come for the opera, as everyone chattered and kept their humans close to them.

"You see Arista" Fredrick said as they walked through the crowd "The people view here your kind as precious companions, the things we hold most dear to us, I wish you could know how it feels to have something as precious as yourself. If not for you, they wouldn't survive. Your blood flows through them, giving them life a new once again. Too long we have lived in the shadows, portrayed as monsters, our kind has been around since the beginning, it was us that was created in God's image. Then He made you for us. You see? It was always meant to be this way."

June looked to him and smiled, not speaking for fear her anger and resentment would pour out of her like oil being struck from the ground. She heard his pretentious outlook on her life, how she was demeaned like the object he viewed her as. If she had a knife, it would be in his eye the moment he had called her Arista. Suddenly June spotted a red headed girl, girl brown blazing eyes in a crowd of men. She was wearing a lovely green dress, but her eyes were full of sadness as she looked around, obviously flirting with the different men around her.

"Mora?" June whispered to herself. Fredrick suddenly seemed occupied with pleasantries to other opera guests as they greeted him. Mora looked up and caught June's stare. Her mouth visibly dropped, eyes growing wide at the sight of June. She motioned for the bathroom with her eyes and June got the message perfectly.

"Fredrick I am going to the restroom" she quickly whispered in his ear and plucked a kiss on his cheek before running off. Fredrick stood still for a moment, giving her a deep hungry look as she quickly darted out of his sight into the bathroom.

She nearly ran to the restroom and threw herself into Mora's arms when she saw her. "I thought you were dead!" Mora said tearing up.

"Oh Mora I've missed you! It's been so horrible, I can't even explain I..." June cried out, her tears streaming down her face involuntarily. She was overcome with such relief and despair at the same moment, it was hard to contain her sobs. Mora shushed her quietly for a moment before wiping the tears away from June's face lovingly.

"What happened?" June said, wanting to know everything.

"Well they had already took Sarah away when I was brought back to camp, and then they stopped feeding us for days! I hit one of the Aunts on the head and dressed in her clothes to try and escape, but they caught me at the border. Thankfully one of the Angels thought I was attractive and said that I could go with him, or go to the Farm. And as you can see, I chose him" she said with sad eyes.

"But what about Luke?" June said quickly "Have you heard anything about him?"

"I heard he got away from his camp, but nothing else, rumors say he's the one leading the rebellion against Gilead, but we can't talk about that" Mora said in a hushed tone. June looked like a carp with the way her mouth hung open at the news of Luke being alive. All this time, she had thought him surely dead...She realized suddenly they were not alone in the bathroom and she suspected the Eyes might be watching even here. Even for the rich, there was still limited privacy, unless it was well paid off.

"How are you though?" Mora asked gently "You look beautiful, but I can tell you are tired."

"I am tired" June said honestly, happy to tell her actual feelings to someone "I'm feeding three grown people, and it hasn't been easy. I can feel my body start to give out."

"I only have to feed one" Mora said showing the wristband over her arm "He's been kind to me, but I miss your brother so much it hurts. I wish things were different..."

"My Wifemate gave me a picture of Sarah...she's with a family that's close to my house. She still has the elephant my parents gave her...so I know she remembers us" June said with a smile.

"I'm glad she's safe" Mora said putting her hands on June's face "I'm glad you are safe as well, but I better leave, they get suspicious if we are away from them for too long."

Both of the girls left right before hugging once more. June wanted to hold on to Mora and never let go, she wanted to scream and trample anyone that would get in her way. She wanted to go far far away, she wanted to get Sarah, to find Luke, to get back to that place where she could hope and dream freely. She wanted to escape, but even here, she was watched. Her every move preventing her from running out the opera doors into the city. She would be caught within hours, maybe even minutes. And then everything would be lost to her...

June found Fredrick in the sea of people and they walked to their private booth for the opera. The orchestra began playing and the curtain rose to a stage lit up like a small town. The audience grew quiet as a scene that looked like off the coast of Spain was shown as the crowd began singing around a lone woman, a beautiful Spaniard girl with dark hair and flowing red gown.

"What opera is this?" June asked quietly entranced by the scene before her.

"It's called Carmen, it's a love story" Fredrick whispered entertained by her expression as she watched the scene play out before her.

"I can't understand it very well" June said intrigued now, even as she sat in the dark next to Fredrick "I'm afraid I'm no good with other languages."

"Then let me explain it to you" he said drawing closer to her, June stiffening slightly at his touch as he whispered in her ear. They were in a private booth so no one shushed them to be quiet.

"It's the story of a corporal that is visiting a town and meets a wild girl named Carmen. She is untamed and beautiful as all the men vie for her attention, but she does not love them. She instead notices the corporal, Don Jose, who ignores her completely. She gets in a fight, and instead of going to jail she seduces the corporal and escapes from him" Fredrick began as they watched the first act, the actors singing and gesturing as Fredrick explained what was being said into June's ear.

"She sounds fun" June said with a smile. Fredrick only glanced at her once and then begun the story again.

"All night Carmen thinks of Don Jose, and she realizes she must be in love. When the two meet alone together, Don Jose shows her he kept a flower she tossed at him when they first met. But alas, he must return to the barracks, but Carmen wants him to stay and live a gypsy life with her if he really loves her. Suddenly a fight breaks out, and Don Jose has no choice but to go with Carmen" he says as the scene below grew tense as June bit her lip in anticipation. The Spaniard girl was incredible, her voice high and wonderful among the deep baritone of Don Jose.

"As always, Carmen grows tired of Don Jose, and instead falls in love with a bullfighter. She runs away, being desperately in love with him, and leaves Don Jose alone and in distress. A day for a bullfight comes and Carmen is with the famous bullfighter, sadly though, Don Jose is in the crowd. He tries to beg for Carmen back, trying to win back her love. But she says she was born free to love, and will die free to love. And in that moment, Don Jose kills Carmen, and is stricken with guilt at her dead body" he says as June audibly gasped as Carmen was ran in with Don Jose's sword.

"That's so sad" June said watching it all happen before her eyes, the body of Carmen falling so realistically, June had to watch closely to make sure the girl wasn't actually dead. Don Jose huddled over Carmen's body, his voice stricken with grief as he lamented his loss of his love.

"Sad, but beautiful, Carmen died because she wanted to love freely" Fredrick said, his eyes glazed over with memories.

"But she hurt someone in the process" June said looking at Fredrick, her tone more somber now.

"Yes, yes she did" he said "But she experienced a love greater than anyone has before, and she lived by her heart, and not by what others told her to do."

The opera ended and the crowd cheered and clapped for the performers on stage. Fredrick stood and tossed a rose in the air and extended once again his hand to June. She took it and then walked from the booth together. She felt strange at this gesture, Fredrick being so engaged with the opera, knowing it so well...

She wanted to steal herself away from these emotions, but it was hard not to feel as if Carmen had felt. She wanted to love freely, hell she would give anything just to be free. Why would Fredrick take her to such a play? She was not his Carmen that was for sure, she never would allow herself to be swept away like that...

Instead of heading for the door like she thought they would, Fredrick led June to a winding staircase near the end of the opera house. It led up grand walls that had vast paintings that hung from every space. The smell of cigar smoke and a dull laughter filled the dark hallway were a set of deep oak doors stood before June and Fredrick. He gave her a hungry smile before opening the door and gesturing for her to enter with him. They entered a billiard room with many Old Ones, their reflective eyes glowing in the dim light as they dressed in the old fashion of the past while playing pool together. A couple nodded their way and went back to the game while other's eyed June up and down, their greedy eyes taking her in. She felt exposed again, and wanted to either run or blacken the eyes of all the eyes that were one her now.

"Gentlemen" Fredrick said as he nodded to some.

"Why Fredrick!" one of them exclaimed "You look like a modern day Casanova!"

"As my lady likes it" Fredrick said smiling down at June.

"Well she certainly is lovely, ours are in the next room playing cards, your little one may join them if she likes" the man said returning back to his pool game. June wanted to go with her own kind, maybe Mora would be in the room and they could talk more...

Sadly though, Fredrick didn't lead her to the doors where the vampire had pointed, but instead led her over to a bar with many glass bottles filled with expensive liquor.

"Do you want something to drink?" Fredrick said asking her softly as he poured himself a brandy.

"Yes please" she answered, trying to keep quiet. The last thing she needed was a room full of angry old vampires from her opening her mouth too much.

They went into a private room adjacent to where the human females were, this one just as grand as the others she had seen, except this time it was more of a bookshelves house thousands of books, some looking centuries old from what June could make out in the candle light of the room. She hated the way nothing was ever shown for what it was, maybe that was one of the reasons the vampires were cursed from the sun. Nobody would want them knowing how truly horrible they really were.

"This is where our kind keeps some of our most precious books, books on history, life, love lost, and many battles" he said taking out a bottle of scotch from a shelf.

He poured a glass and handed it to her. June drank and nearly coughed it back up. It was strong, and made her head feel funny. Scotch was not something she was used to, even when she drank. Carefully she sipped it as Fredrick put his arm around her waist and led her around the room.

"I have spent decades reading them all, though Serena thinks it trivial. She was such a beauty back then, I thought I was the luckiest man in the world" he looked to her "Only now do I feel such joy as I did before."

June blushed and looked down at her drink, taking another small sip. If she encouraged him right now, what would he expect of her later? She had met enough men to know where something like this was going, but would she have the strength to fend him off? And what would Nico do if she couldn't?

"How did you meet her?" she asked trying to change the subject back to Serena.

"She found me in a graveyard. I had spent many days lying by Arista's grave, and I was nearly dead when she came. She was giving flowers to someone's grave, and she thought me handsome even though I was covered in dirt and smelled of old rain" he said looking down "She told me she could give me a new life, a new reason to live and love, and I took it without thinking. Soon we were the most powerful ones of our kind, but Serena grew jealous of me and my hope that one day Arista would return to me. I never gave up that hopeless dream, and then you appeared, like a fever dream."

June tried to back away from him but she swayed a bit, making it look like she was almost swooning over him. The thought made her face grow red with rage, wanting to leave this place even more now.

The drink made June's head grow foggy as Fredrick moved towards her and took her lips in his. June grabbed the lapels of his jacket as he pressed himself against her, his body pining hers against the bookshelf as his hands flew around her waist. She wanted to vomit at his kiss, wanted him off of her so desperately...

"No" she said as she pushed him away finally, her strength of mind returning "Serena..."

Fredrick looked away with disdain at the name "Serena doesn't love me anymore."

"Yes she does. If you only give her a chance, why don't you take her here? Take her somewhere special, it would make things easier for me, for us" June said trying to sound convincing as she smoothed out his jacket across his chest. A move that made Fredrick groan as June held back the sneer she almost produced. Instead she looked up at him with doe eyes, blinking like a love struck school girl. She could avoid this, she could try and seduce her way out of this dangerous situation she was in if she played the innocent virgin. She could fix this, she could guard her heart away from Fredrick and steer his towards Serena.

"If it would please you, then I shall" he said smiling up at her "Now if you don't mind, I am famished."

He produced the key to her wrist band from his pocket and unclasped it. He tipped her down to the floor, his body hovering over hers for a moment before taking her wrist in his mouth. She laid back and let him feed, even though she was already weak and the scotch had numbed her senses. She gave a sigh of relief, happy that her quick decisions had paid off for now. Slowly though, Fredrick began feeling her up once more, his hand brushing down her legs and over her breasts, she allowed it to happen, turning her mind and body off enough for him to get at least a little of what he wanted. It would be enough for now, to sustain him, but if she tried maybe she could get away before he did what he ultimately wanted with her. She had to speak to Nico, had to know there was a chance her hope would be fulfilled.

Fredrick finished feeding, his content look on his face making him seem drunk. He gently led June to her feet, her hands brushing her dress back into place as she moved her long blonde locks to the side. They left the room, a few chuckles coming from the vampire males here and there. It made June blush, her image now really one of a common whore. She would outsmart them, she would outsmart them all. She would get free from this hell hole with her brother and sister beside her. Or she would die trying.


	10. Chapter 10

*WARNING: This chapter has explicit content only for mature readers. Read at your own caution.*

June hid on the floor of the limo as they pulled back up into the driveway. Fredrick helped her up and led her into the house, making sure first with Cora that Serena was not back yet.

Fredrick bid her goodnight as she started up the stairs, making sure to stop and listen as he vanished into the Ceremony Room where he slept although she did not know where. The Old Ones were very secretive about where they really slept, even in Serena's room June was unsure if the vampire actually slept in the grand bed. As the coast seemed clear June descended down the stairs and headed towards the back of the house. She still felt dizzy and light as she walked to the garden doors.

She looked at the cameras as they flashed red and she walked out the door into the fresh night air. She was having trouble keeping her balance and by the time she reached the door she had tripped two times.

She knocked on the door as quietly as she could and felt the ground spin beneath her feet. Nico opened the door and took one look at her and sniffed at her loudly.

"Oh god, your drunk" he said and quickly scooped her up in his arms and shut the door. June didn't fight him, in fact she kinda liked being this close to him. His body was warm, and it held her body firmly, her small feet dangling over as she faintly smiled to herself. His scent drifted over her, his black cotton T-shirt smooth against her cold skin from the night air as she watched them ascend up into his room above the garage.

He laid her down on the sofa and went for some water. "Here drink this or my mother's going to know what he gave you" he said handing her the glass. June took it and sipped greedily, wanting the taste of scotch out of her mouth.

"So what did you do?" he asked crossing his arms in front of her.

"We went to an opera and then he took me to a pool room with other vampires and gave me scotch" she said sluggishly. She tried to compose herself as she took long breaths to steady her head.

"Did he try and do anything to you?" he asked with a harsh tone.

"Yes" June said wanting to be honest.

"And did you let him?" Nico said now getting visibly jealous which made June feel a bit angry. She wasn't his and she wasn't Fredrick's. So why the hell did he care?

"Does it matter?" June said setting the glass down "You are just going to hand me over to the Eyes anyway."

"What does that mean?" Nico said coming towards her and taking her face in his hands. June tried to look away but she couldn't help but meet his eyes that seemed to pierce through her armor she was so desperately trying to hide behind.

"You are an Angel; you can't help humans you are bent on harvesting us!" June said getting loud and standing up "You want us all to die! And my brother is going to die, and Mora is going to die, and I am going to die right along with them!" she started getting hysterical, big drops of tears streaming down her face as she failed at holding back her emotions now. She had been quiet, and been through too much tonight and for the past three years. She needed to scream, she needed to cry, she needed something, anything to fill her ever growing void.

Nico then did something very unexpected.

He picked June up by her shoulders and kissed her hard, making June's legs wobble and buckle beneath her as he pressed himself to her. At first she was stunned, but as his lips began inviting her in she melted against him. Slowly she wrapped her arms around his neck, his hands going for her hips as his fingers dug in against the material of her dress. She gasped, wanting more as she pulled his head in closer, needing to feel more of him, needing to taste him. He pushed her down against the couch, his lips never leaving hers as he quickly made work of her dress and pulled it down along her body. June frantically pulled his black shirt off over his head, her mind focused on one thing and one thing only. This wasn't a gentle tumble in the sheets after grueling finals, or some quick knee knocking in the back of some guys car. This was unaltered desperation and consummation of two bodies in hungry need. Desire rocked June's head back as she felt Nico's mouth against her breasts, her eyes closing as she moaned out loud. Nico gently bit her lip as he whispered against her lips "Don't want to wake the neighbors" he said kissing her again as his tongue delve deep in her mouth.

June hooked a leg around his hip and pushed against him, needing him to know what she wanted. Nico quickly shimmied off his pants and boxers while June felt his hand push aside her lace panties that she had been given to wear. In a quick urgent thrust Nico delve deep between June's legs, his length filling her up to a point where she snapped her body up as a hiss escaped her mouth once more.

"Ohhh fuck " she said into the air, getting a wide grin from Nico as he took her mouth back against his.

This wasn't like anything June had experienced before, Nico knew exactly what he was doing as he lifted her hips up to meet each thrust that drove deeper inside of her. Her fingers raked across his back, her legs wrapping around his hips needing him more fervently than ever. His breath hitched in his throat as she lightly bit against his neck, something that made him jerk hard inside of her. He was pure sex and she needed him like a addict hooked for a next fix. June couldn't restrain herself any longer, the build up inside herself growing from the panic and desire that had been bubbling like a soda that had been shaken up in a can. Nico grabbed her hips, letting her ride out her climax as she bucked against him, blinding behind her eyes as her toes curled up behind him. She wasn't falling When June looked up, Nico was smiling with those beautiful full lips, the sight of his half lidded blue eyes looking down at her and matted brown hair making her shiver in delight and desire all over again. She bit her lip at his smile and he quickly brought her up to him, his lips capturing hers as his other hand snaked down to her ass and lifted her up higher. He moved again inside her, this time letting his own selfishness take hold as June rode out the rest of her orgasm. Nico grabbed harder, his thrusts going deeper now until a groan escaped through his throat and she felt him jerk inside of her, satisfaction filling her as she lazily wrapped her arms around him, their ragged breaths in tune with one another until Nico looked up at her with that sly grin of his.

"Well that worked" he said on top of her. June realized what he had done and playfully slapped him.

"You're an asshole" she said before getting up and collecting her clothes quickly.

"An asshole for that?" he said watching her dress.

"No, an asshole for having sex with me when I know I'm just going to end up dead or worse the Farm" she said with a huff. Her desire was now waning as reality set in that she had just had wild sex with her Commander's son. A fast track way to ending up more in the grave than she already was at this point.

"Listen, I only became an Angel to please my father, I don't harvest humans. I try and save them. When we pick humans up I take them to the border, not to the Farm. I'm the good guy here, and you need to trust me" Nico said sitting up. June watched him in his naked glory grab his pants and pull them up. A part of her wished he would stay naked, her body always being the one exposed. It was a nice change to have someone else in her place instead.

"How can I? I can't trust anyone in this household" June said still staring at him as he pulled his shirt over his head. June's lips hurt from their kissing as she instinctively rubbed them with the back of her hand.

"You can trust me, I won't hurt you" he said looking at her with and intense glare "Hell I don't even know your name. I'm not calling you Offred."

"Your father calls me Arista" she said sitting back on the couch "It hurts my heart. He's trying to replace me with his dead love. I can't handle the way he talks to me, he makes me pity him and hate him at the same time."

"Don't" Nico said "Just don't, please don't pity him."

Nico bent down and was eye level with her now "Please, for me, I can't have him hurt you."

"Why would he hurt me?" June said, her mouth going dry now from the look he was giving her.

"He didn't tell you how she died, did he?" Nico said.

"Your mother said she died from the plague" she said.

"That's what he tells everyone, the truth is, my father killed Arista for loving another man, and that's why if he ever finds out about you meeting me, he'll kill you too" Nico said his eyes grave "I found out a long time ago, when I was going through records of most of the diplomats of the Order. A lot of it was just scrap papers, but some papers were old enough and dated back to some of their origins. I found Fredrick's. That's why when you came here I was so concerned for you."

"Carmen..." June whispered looking down. The opera, he wanted her to see it because he wanted her to know... He had killed Arista out of jealousy, just like Don Jose...

"You have to leave; the cameras will turn back on. Listen if you want to really trust me, meet me here tomorrow night. The cameras are getting repairs done and we can sneak away for a few hours. You just have to trust me? Okay?" Nico said holding her face close to his.

"Alright, I'll trust you" she said and gently kissed the inside of his palm. The action surprised even her, she was never one to be romantic, but from the intense session she just had with Nico, well, maybe she was a little more apt to show her feelings to him now. Nico smiled at her and took her hand, leading her back downstairs and outside into the gardens.

Carefully June made her way back inside, her body only glancing at him with a quick smile that he returned before they both shut the doors behind them. June walked quietly upstairs and into her room, changing out of her dress and looking herself over in the mirror for any marks Nico might have left on her body from their love making. None were found, which made her even more relieved. Knowing what Fredrick was capable of now, it made her scared for her life, and for Nico's.

That night, June slept peacefully for the first time in weeks, dreaming of the old country fields she used to run.

 _She could hear Sarah in the background laughing something about playing. Mora's call for Luke was happy and she could see the couple running past her through the fields. She looked to the perfect blue sky, the clouds blowing past her as the summer breeze whipped through her hair._

 _"You look so beautiful" a voice said behind her. She turned and saw Nico, his brown cropped hair whipping in the wind, his eyes still a piercing blue. She smiled at him and turned back to the scenery. She could hear the whisper of the wind as it danced through the trees and the ground, sending scattering leaves everywhere and the smell of forest._

 _"It's getting dark, you had better go inside" Nico said behind her. June turned around and screamed. Nico's face had grown dark, and his eyes boiled a seething red. The Eyes! He was part of the Eyes! He bared his lion fangs at her and lurched forward for her beating heart..._

June woke up screaming, her nightgown sticking to her cold body. The nightmare had seemed so real and June held her head in anguish. She didn't know what to believe anymore, was Nico lying about Fredrick and Arista? Was he really trustworthy?

She stood up and looked to her window. Sunset was starting in the sky, she had slept all through the day. June decided to take another bath and get dressed. She washed and scrubbed herself, trying to get the taste of alcohol out of her mouth.

By the time she was finished, it was already feeding time for Fredrick and Serena. She went downstairs; trying to scratch an itch that was beginning in one of the wrist bands. June opened the door and suddenly dodged a flying flower pot.

"What do you mean not tonight?!" Serena screamed at Fredrick "We need to feed Fredrick and I cannot let your foolish heart stop our survival! The rebellion is approaching the city and we may not have much time left!"

"It's just one night Serena, and Offred needs her rest" he said, his tone soothing as he came towards the hysteric female.

"She was supposed to rest yesterday!" Serena retorted wrapping her arms around herself in a pout.

"Well she still isn't full healed up my sweet. I had to drink from her last night because I was feeling weak" Fredrick said going towards her as he held her hand gently "Now please, join me tonight so that we may at least spend one night together without fighting."

June walked slightly in and both vampires stopped fighting as if a child had entered the room of two arguing parents.

"Offred, dear" Serena said, her voice now in a gently coo "You should have told me you were tired, I would have put you on bed rest" she said coming towards her. Serena felt the softness of June's hair and smiled at her genuinely. June at first was hesitant at Serena's touch, a strange bond had grown between them although June couldn't tell if it was good or bad just yet. Would she approve of what her and Nico had done last night? The thought alone made her blush a deep red.

"You should go with him" June said quietly trying to take the attention away from her "That way I can...rest" she said with emphasis to signal she was to meet with Nico tonight.

Serena gave a hidden wink at her to show she got what June meant and turned around to Fredrick who still stood with his arms crossed.

"Fine my love, since Offred requests it, I shall go with you" Serena said with a cold smile. Fredrick didn't seem pleased until he saw the relief run over June's face. He quickly smiled and took his Wifemates arm as they exited the room without a word to June. She heard them discuss going out to meet with friends for dinner and a show that night. June breathed out deeply, thanking God for allowing her plan to work.

June went back upstairs to her room after she heard Fredrick and Serena leave for the night, bidding Rita goodbye before the door shut firmly behind them. It was a hard game to play with both of them. Fredrick wanted her because she looked like Arista, and Serena needed her so she could feed Nico. But what exactly did Nico want from her?

June shrugged the question off and opened her window. Suddenly two eyes were staring at her and Nico fell on top of her as he lost his balance. June held her hands to her mouth to stifle the scream that escaped her mouth from the fast fall to the ground.

"I told you to quit doing that!" she yelled at him as she slapped the side of his arm.

"I'm sorry" he said laughing on top of her"That one I actually did by mistake; sometimes I don't know my own strength."

They froze for a moment, realizing that they were in the exact position they were in just the other night. Except this time they had far more clothes on than previously.

"So where are we going tonight?" she asked giving a slight cough as she stood up, her hands pressing her red dress neatly down as Nico stood up. He was wearing a brown leather bomber jacket, with his standard black T-shirt and jeans. He wore big boots that shined against the lamp light of her room.

"Well we aren't going anywhere with you dressed like that" he said pointing to her red dress. June looked down at herself and then up at him. Yes, it would be rather strange if she left with him wearing basically a big red sign saying she was someone's property. And thankfully to June, Nico looked nothing like the old Commander's she had seen at the opera house.

"So what do you suggest?" she said with a smile as she crossed her arms.

"Here, I snagged these from a local store, you'll look like a normal Martha out for a night with her Guardian" he said throwing her some normal clothes from a bag he had slinged around his shoulder. It was a pair of black shorts, a green tank top, and a grey zip up jacket with two green shoes.

"Well turn around" she said. Nico rolled his eyes with a smile " I've seen you naked, remember?"

"Yea well that was then and this is now. So turn around" she said teasing him.

Nico held up his arms in defeat as he turned around while June changed. She could have sworn she saw him peek a few times, but she simply laughed at him. He was the one thing she could be comfortable around lately, and she took those moments while she could. It kept her sane, and sanity was something she desperately held on to.

"How do I look?" she said as he turned around. The green made her hair seem even lighter and her complexion looked rosy against her pale skin.

"Excellent" he said and held out his hand "Take these too; they are contact lenses that should stay in all night."

June looked at the contacts and slowly put them in. She had a flash back of putting in contacts when her and Luke had tried to escape. She quickly shook her head, trying to think about what was to come and not what was behind. Her eyes now glowed a pretty blue as she looked at him curiously "Are they going to notice my eyes are gray at all?"

"No, some half-breeds have blue eyes, as long as they have the reflective glow to them, we should be alright" he said taking her hand. June took it as he motioned to the open window, a drop that was high even to June's standards.

"Are you ready?" he asked pulling her against him.

"I think so" she said with a nervous smile.

And with that, they leaped from the window and headed out into the city.


	11. Chapter 11

June held tightly to Nico's hand as they walked down the street passed other people also enjoying the night air. Nobody even glanced June's way and it felt nice to get out of the house without having to hide or be stared at. This is how it used to be, she remembered faintly. Being able to walk without glancing behind her. June had never feared the dark, not even as a child, but since the Order, the dark held so many things to fear that she wished she could stay as long in the light as possible.

Nico kept his eyes moving at all times, watching to see if danger was around the corner at every stop, seeing if the Eye's and their black vans would pull up or not. But the whole time through the very lavish neighborhood, not one black car was to be seen. June noticed Nico had a tattoo on the back of his neck as he and she craned her neck to get a better look at it as they walked side by side.

"What are you looking at?" he said quietly as they passed a group of teenagers all dressed in black and green.

"Your tattoo, I was just seeing what it was" she said.

"It's a cross, a sign of the Angel troupe, but I have words inscribed in it" he said smiling at her as he showed her at a better angle for her to see.

"What do they say?" she said looking closely. It was a very ornate cross, but the words were foreign to her.

"When we die, we will die with our arms unbound" he said looking straight at her. June felt the words of the opera Carmen echo in her mind.

"I was born to love freely, and I will die to love freely".

Deep inside herself, those words resonated in her chest. It had some solidarity in her hope that even if she didn't have the chance to be free for very long, at least she had the chance. She would rather die breathing the air as a free human being than stay forever captive as someone's property. She would die for her freedom, for her ability to have a choice. She would die with her arms unbound, just as Nico would.

The thought of Nico giving his life for her freedom, it made her heart hurt. She wouldn't ask him of that, she wouldn't ask that of anyone but herself. In yet, she had a feeling that he would, a thought that made her question his feelings for her as they moved down another street corner. Sure, they had been intimate, but did that mean they felt the same about one another? Or were they just two fucked up people finding solace in their own bad situation? She looked over at him, still finding those high cheekbones and blue eyes intimidating yet beautiful in their own right. She knew he was brave, charming, and a hell of a good kisser. In another life, she would have probably fell head over heels for someone like him. But she still couldn't trust him, not all the way, a sliver of doubt still held in her mind and it was enough for her to hold back any feelings she would have about Nico.

Suddenly Nico stopped and hailed a taxi cab. "Where will it be Captain?" the driver said seeing that the cargo was a higher rank then himself.

"Jezebel's please" he said and the car sped off in the direction of the city. Nico signaled to June to not talk in the presence of the cab driver. She turned her head and stared out the window, wondering where they were going and what Nico planned to do. They traveled to a different part of the city, no longer did the skyscrapers light up the sky, but warehouses and industrial factories long abandoned took up shop on the nearly empty streets. June would have probably feared going into a neighborhood like this before, but the lack of vampires almost made her feel more safe than she had when Fredrick had taken her to the opera house. At least here, she didn't have to worry about anyone staring at her.

The cab stopped and suddenly a solid beat hit June's ears and made her heart race. People crowded outside what looked like a remodeled warehouse and she could see the flashing of lights within the large glass windows above.

"Come on we are going in" Nico said smiling at her. June followed his lead, watching Nico pay the driver before coming up beside her, his arm wrapping around her waist casually. They looked like an ordinary couple out for a night of clubbing. June hadn't been to a club since she was a teenager, those rebellious night seeming so far away from now. Her parents had scolded her, had grounded and were apt to tell her that she was capable of doing far greater things with her time. She wondered what they would think of her now walking up to another club with a vampire at her side.

June looked at everyone entering the building. People were dressed in the latest fashion, with crazy hair and bright clothing; June almost looked dim compared to everyone else. Maybe dim was better, less she get noticed for wearing a skimpy bright outfit. They would see the clasps around her arm and know immediately she wasn't a Martha.

"Alright, now hold my hand because it's crowded in there" he said taking June's hand in his. June was too confused to say anything as she let Nico lead the way. He was right, the club was crowded as hell, the smell of sweat and musk heavy in the air as people danced and grinded against one another. June watched as every different color of light bounce and drifted in the air, and the music of the huge speakers played harmonically with the techno beat. The bass boomed inside her chest and she tried to hold tight to Nico as he led her through the crowd. She held his hand in an iron grip, not wanting to get separated in such a place where she knew nobody and would surely be caught if she tried to make it outside on her own by the Eyes.

"Just try to blend in" Nico said loudly over the music as he waited for a group to pass by them to get to the even more crowded bar.

June heard a familiar song come on and she smiled, remembering dancing with her friends to the tune when they would go out together. Her legs began bouncing and bobbing to the music, her body moving around without her realizing it as she glanced around to the people around her.

Nico turned around and laughed at her awkward dancing which made her face heat up instantly. He waved off her embarrassment with a smirk and took her hand in his as he moved farther and farther towards the back of the club.

He broke his hold on her hand only when they reached the corner of the warehouse where two ruff looking half-breeds stood watch over a solid metal door. The half breeds looked so out of place to June, their bodies covered in SWAT looking gear as they both sported batons. Why would they need that kind of weapons for crowd control in a club scene?

"Password?" one of them said to Nico as he approached them.

"Mayday comes in spring" Nicho said as the guard nodded to him, his big gloved hands opening the door's latch with a high shriek from the metal.

"How you doin Nico?" the other guard said as they moved inside. June stuck close to Nico as she moved past the guards, her body seeming tiny against their hulking figures.

"Fine Jo, who's inside?" he said with stride, as if casually talking in a grocery store instead of a shady looking secret room in the back of a club

"Couple of people and the General" Jo said as the other guard closed the door tightly behind them "Who's this?"

"The General's sister" Nico said presenting June to Jo. June whipped her head around to look at Nico, but he avoided her gaze as Jo looked June up and down.

"No shit" he said with a whistle "You actually found her?"

"More like she found me" Nico said with a sly grin before taking June's hand once again. The initial room they entered looked like an ordinary office, with papers spread across a desk and a computer humming softly against the beats of the music outside. But as Nico walked forward and banged against a panel of the wall, it slid open to reveal a whole other section of the warehouse. June stepped gingerly in as Jo closed the panel behind them, sealing them into the room with a small bang.

The room was rusty and old and stunk of cigarettes as June looked around. Several metal shelves held semi-automatic rifles with crates that glowed a solid indigo.

"Ultra-violet bullets" June thought to herself in awe "This is the Rebellion... These are the people Fredrick talked about..."

June's heart was beating fast as she looked at all the maps and radios around the room. The people in the room looked just as rough, their focused stares looking at the outsider that came along with Nico with suspicion. Some of them were vampires, the shine from their eyes fast as June passed them within the light, but most were humans. They dressed just how June imagined rebels might dress, with their neutral toned jackets and pants of green and tan. Some of the women looked almost like men, their cropped hair down to their scalp. These weren't just civilians as June realized, these were ex-military.

"This is the real deal" June thought to herself moving behind Nico as they approached another set of doors. She was beginning to wonder if this was some kind of bunker for the Rebellion, maybe a central location or just one of many...

The doors opened to reveal a man and woman, both hard eyed and grim as they looked Nico up and down before turning to June with silent stares.

"Where's the General?" Nico said firmly. June wondered if he had any kind of station in the Rebellion or was he a grunt like so many they had passed behind them.

The women spoke with eyes that burned like fire at the mention of the General "He's in the back; he'll be out in a minute."

They allowed Nico and June to step into the room, this one holding only a desk with various crates that housed weapons or supplies. June didn't want to ask, already afraid of speaking out and getting them thrown out after Nico had risked so much to get them in here. A door suddenly slid open revealing a few people dressed in black, their faces stained from a mission June supposed they had just got done with by their tired stares at the two. One was the Bloodmaid June knew from the House, Offglen as June smiled at the familiar face before her. No longer in red, Offglen wiped away some black smudge from her eyes as she took another glance towards June.

"Offred is that you?" Offglen said her eyes narrowing closely.

"Hi Offglen" June said with a small wave and warm smile.

"Oh my name is not Offglen, its Lucy" she said with a laugh coming towards June "I lied before about not remembering, just a tactic incase someone was listening. But enough about me! What the hell are you doing here Offred?"

"Her name isn't Offred" said a voice that echoed out against the walls of the room.

Slowly emerging from the soldiers in black, a tall figure approached the two females. June gasped, watching as the muscular figure of her brother emerge, his blonde hair short against his scalp, with his face covered in black smudge. But June knew, she would know her brother if he was covered head to toe in mud as he gave her that million dollar smile.

"Luke!" June screamed as she ran towards him, her arms flinging out and wrapping around him. Luke dropped his weapon he had been holding, his arms out and catching June's body, his arms holding her so tight she thought he might crack a rib. But she didn't care, Luke was alive.

"He's alive! He's alive! Thank you God he's alive!" June said in her head, her mouth busy with crying out in pure relief and joy as she reunited with her brother. The crowd around her couldn't help, she saw a few tear up, while others smiled at the two siblings, so lost without each other and now finally returned. June had to take a moment to calm herself, her hands wiping the black crap from Luke's face so that she could clearly see him. He laughed at her frantic movements, his arm brushing away the face paint to reveal his tan skin. He looked so grown up to June, it had been a long three years, for both of them it seemed.

"Mora! I know where Mora is! She's a Bloodmaid like me!" June suddenly said, remembering Luke's previous love.

"I know where Mora is as well" Luke said his eyes growing sad as he shook his head "She wouldn't come with me when I tried to rescue her, she wanted to stay with her guardian."

"No that can't be she said she misses you!" June said her voice going desperate. She had just seen Mora the other night, how could she have lied to June about missing Luke?!

"She fell in love with him I guess. It's alright, I've seen it happen so many times here, it's not that uncommon. But she will have to make the decision when Mayday comes to the Order. Right?" he said to the others as they nodded in approval. He finally let go of June, her hands still gripping his arm, afraid that he might vanish before her if she were to let go. Luke let her hold on as he walked towards Nico and held out his hand to shake.

"You've done well Nico" he said as Nico took his hand "I can't believe you did it. But you found my baby sister, against all odds. I didn't think I would ever see her again."

"She has been staying at my house now for the past couple of weeks. Once I figured out who her family was, I decided it was high time for her to find out they were alive" Nico said giving June a wink. June blushed at his reaction but quickly turned to Luke as she stared up at her brother. He reminded her of a knight in shining armor, but then again, hadn't he always been that for her? Even as a child, Luke had always protected her and Sarah, from fights with parents, to bullies at school, it had been Luke that was the leader, the one that people respected and followed. It made June proud of him for becoming the man he was now.

"I don't know how I will repay you for bringing her here, now there's only one more to retrieve, then we can be all together again" Luke said looking down at June. He was talking about Sarah, June realized as her eyes grew wide. He intended to retrieve all of them, she was going to get to be with her family sooner than she realized!

"I have a picture of her, the Wifemate, Serena, she knows where she's staying" June suddenly said, hoping it would help Luke find their sister even faster if she could provide some clue to her location.

"I also have an idea of where she is Sir" Nico said stepping forward "If you would allow, perhaps your sister and I can find her location and retrieve her when Mayday approaches. That way if things don't go as planned, you may still escape with both of them without delay."

"Let us pray that our plan doesn't fail" Luke said "But I agree with you, the less casualties the better. I leave it to your discretion Nico."

Casualties? Is that what the Rebellion was planning?

"Luke" June said "Are people going to die with this Mayday thing?"

"Only if they choose to" Luke said, his voice growing harsh "They will either surrender or die for their crimes against our kind. Too long have we been in fear of the Order. On Mayday, our cause will rise against them. And whether we die or succeed, we will not go quietly."

June held tighter on to Luke's arm "What about me? What about Sarah? What happens if something goes wrong and you can't get us?"

"Nico will then take you to the border" Luke said holding June's face against his hand "He has orders on what to do if I don't make it. You and Sarah will be safe, no matter the cost."

"Please" June said "Please make it. I already thought I lost you once...I don't know what I'd do if..."

"It won't come to that" Luke said kissing the top of her head "I made a promise I would always take care of you and Sarah, I intend to keep that promise."

June nodded, wanting to cry at the thought of Luke dying. But he was a soldier, no, a leader now. He had to show that he was willing to sacrifice exactly what he was asking everyone else to do in this fight. June let go of his arm as he gave some orders to a few rebels before she turned and looked towards Nico.

A small smile crept up his face, but his eyes looked sad.

"Nico?" June said coming towards him.

"It's nothing" he said shaking his head "I'm glad you and Luke found each other."

"Because of you" June said taking his hand in hers "I wouldn't have found him if you hadn't brought me here. I owe you everything."

"No" he said "You don't owe me anything. It was enough just to see you reunited with him."

"Still" June said "If you ever need anything from me, I'll be more than happy to repay you."

"I'll remember that" Nico said with another sly grin, this time more mischievous than the last one.

June smiled at him before Luke called out for her, making her break contact with Nico as she quickly moved to Luke's side. They were staring at papers and it seemed architectural drafts of some buildings.

"This is official documents of the inside structure for the capital of the Order" he said pointing to the building "My team is going to infiltrate it and take control. Other teams will be going to the high Commander houses and executing them if they don't comply with our demands. I want you to wait for a team back at where you are staying. They will come and retrieve you and Sarah with Nico as your escort. When everything is said and done, and if I make it, I'll meet you and Sarah at our uncles house."

"You mean I can't stay here?" June said growing scared "What if the team doesn't make it!? What if I'm trapped?"

"I won't allow that" Nico said coming forward "I'll get you out, one way or another."

June looked back to Luke, but she could tell he had already made up his mind on the plan. June huffed, looking down at the documents before nodding her head solidly.

"Fine" she said looking up at her brother "But you better make it back. Or I'm kicking you ass."

Luke laughed out loud then, his head shaking at her.

"Still the same old mighty mouse" he said "Always thinking you can take on a giant when your the size of a bug."

"Bugs take over giants all the time" June said sticking her tongue out at him.

Luke gave another laugh and pulled June in another embrace, her arms wrapping around her brother tightly.

"I will see you soon my sister" he said to her as he smiled down at her tiny frame.

"Until that time then, be safe" she said as she let go, a few tears threatening to fall down her face as she said her goodbyes and left the room with Nico at her side.

They exited the warehouse, the club still hopping with bodies moving and winding to the music. June took a deep breath in when they finally reached outside. Nico motioned for her to follow as he turned down an alley where a few vans were parked. June was hesitant to follow but Nico waved off her suspicion as he produced a key and unlocked the door to a small van.

"Don't worry, it's your brothers" he said motioning for her to get in.

"Okay" she said getting in "Was this all part of the plan tonight?"

"That" he said smiling as he started the car "And to get you alone for a while."

June blushed as the van revved to life and they sped off down the alleyway, going far away from the city lights. Her chest, which had been feeling such turmoil lately, now felt empty and light, a sign of good fortune ahead of her.

At least, she hoped.


	12. Chapter 12

June sat in the passenger side of the van, her smile plastered on her face as she watched the city pass by in a blur. She had used to love watching the lights go by as a child, thinking they were stars that were just extra close to the world below. Unfortunately through school she had learned about the light pollution from the city and the lights had begun to seem not as magical as the actual stars. She couldn't remember the last time she had really seen a clear night...

"You mind if we take a short pit stop?" Nico said looking over at her.

"Do you think we have time?" June said fearful that they would be gone too long from the house. Fredrick would probably lose his mind if he found both Nico and June gone at the same time.

"We will" he said with a grin "At least for this."

"Alright" June said nodding as she watched him pull up on a baseball field that looked overgrown from the city not keeping up with the landscaping. They pulled up and Nico led June by the hand as they crossed the baseball field and into a walking trail.

"I don't think I've actually been here before" June said "My parents usually kept to the inner city when we visited for special events."

"I came here a few years back when I realized nobody really visited this part of the city anymore" he said as they began walking across a concrete pathway over what was once the highway "I think the Order deemed it inhabitable for some reason, but to me, it seemed the perfect place to get away for a while."

June looked ahead as she saw the Great Lake ahead of them, it's vast waters stretching out over the horizon as the moon made the waves shimmer against the man made beach before them.

"The beach!" June said delighted "I haven't been here in forever!"

"I love coming here" he said "Nobody has bothered this beach since I've found it. It's totally secluded for some reason."

June smiled so wide she thought her cheeks would hurt in the morning as they walked down towards the beach, her feet moving fast towards the waves that gently crashed against the shoreline.

"Can I take my shoes off?" June said looking at Nico.

"Go crazy" he said with a laugh.

June didn't hesitate as she kicked off her sneakers and ran into the water, her feet feeling the cool sand below as she twirled around in it for a few minutes. This was so...real. She felt the current of the water moving back and forth against her skin, her toes wiggling into the dirt of the lake as her fingertips grazed the top of the water. She wanted to fall into it, wanted to float and let the current take her away from all of this. She looked back to Nico sitting on the beach, watching her with a content smile as she moved around the water like a child.

June looked out at the horizon and saw the contrast of the city and the lake. The lights were so bright, but the farther and farther she looked out to the lake, the sky darkened to a deep blue. She loved it here, loved the peace and quiet compared to the chaos on the inside of the city. Here it was serene, here she could be alone. Maybe that's why Nico had found this place, to be alone...

Her feet grew numb to the cold water soon and she reluctantly walked up the beach, taking a seat beside Nico as they watched the waves in silence for a moment.

"Thank you" June suddenly said "For everything."

"Your welcome" he said, his voice gently as he stared out to the lake "This place reminds me of the shores along the ocean. When I was a boy, I used to sit and watch the ships pass by in the night. My mother let me collect shells that washed up on the shore, she would tell me stories of her going from ship to ship in the old days."

"She loves you very much" June said realizing how sad Nico seemed when talking about his past.

"She does" he said shaking his head "I wish she never met Fredrick. When she wasn't around him she was full of life, she didn't seem so angry or jealous. It's made her weak, better yet, he's made her weak. All my life he's made it seem like she was nothing without him. It's broken her down into the person she is today it seems."

"I'm sorry" June said not knowing how she could relieve him of his troubles.

"Don't" he said looking at her with a smile "He'll get whats coming to him eventually. I won't let that happen to you. Although honestly I don't think you need me when it comes to protecting yourself. You do a good job of it by yourself. After all, I bet you still don't trust me even after tonight."

June felt her face grow hot at his accusation and turned to look at the lake. He was right, there was still some doubt, that he could betray her and Luke and hand them right over to the Eyes. But then again, he could have done that at any point...

"It's okay" he finally said "I don't blame you. I have the privileged of being a vampire, while you are a human. It makes sense to distrust. I would do the same if I were in your shoes. But just for the hell of it, I still want to tell you that you should trust me. I wouldn't hurt you, or Luke for that matter. Not for anything."

June looked over at him, her eyes trying to tell him how she really felt. It was hard, keeping quiet for so long, and now when she could speak she couldn't find the words...

"I believe you" June finally got out "And I wouldn't do anything to hurt you Nico."

"Please" he said with a comical snort "Your only saying that because of my good looks."

"Whatever" June said giggling as she rolled her eyes. They both sat again in silence, content with at least trusting each other for the moment. June suddenly remembered something and smiled as she looked out to the horizon.

"What?" Nico said "What's that smile for?"

"I just remembered something" she said "Although it's kind of sad."

"Tell me" Nico said scooting closer to her, his head tilting in a way that made his hair fall over those diamond blue eyes.

"It's just" June said turning away from him to capture the memory "I remember my parents promising to take us all to the ocean for the summer. Sarah had been so excited, she thought we should go to Disney world, while Luke tried to tell my father that we should go to Cancun."

"Where did you want to go?" Nico said intrigued.

"I honestly didn't care" June said "I just wanted to see the ocean, I wanted to feel the waves and taste the salt in the water. I wanted to feel small. I wanted to experience something not many get to in our short lives. But this was as close as I ever got" June said staring at the water of the lake.

"What happened?" Nico asked, watching her almost mesmerized by her story.

"The week before we were about to leave" June started with her voice catching in her throat "They died. A hit and run. It was during all the looting when everything went to hell. Somebody ran into them, their car careened off the highway and... well. We didn't get to go."

June wiped away some tears that started to bubble over, sighing heavily. It had been so long since she remembered them, remembered how she couldn't grieve back then, too much happening all at once...

"I'm sorry" Nico said wrapping his arm around her "I'm sorry for everything that's happened to you."

"I wish I could say it was okay" June said shaking her head "But I can't Nico, I can't say it's okay. Because it's not, none of this is."

"Things will change" Nico said holding her closer "Your brother and the rest of us are making it happen."

"What about you? What will happen to you after Mayday?" June said looking at him now, their faces close together as the cool wind from the lake whipped her hair away from her face.

"I don't know" he said with a smirk " The Rebellion is working on a cure to turn vampires mortal. In a way, if I were mortal I would be free. Free to go and do as I please, no longer under Fredrick's thumb. I'll be my own person. Just like you."

"Would you want" she said softly "Would you want to see me?"

"Yes" he said "I would want to see you. I would want to see you all the time. I want to take you to a movie, and eat with you. I want to dance with you and hear you sing your favorite song. I want to live" he said sighing "But oh, I would love to live knowing you."

June felt her throat tighten up at his words, not knowing how to follow up with such a confession but knowing she felt the same. She wanted to know Nico in another life, a new life, one where they could be seen together and free to do as they wished...

June moved her head towards Nico's, her lips brushing against his so softly. She felt his breath hitch as he took her in, his arms tightening their hold around her. Again she lightly touched her lips to his, the first kiss she had initiated in years. And Nico was taking whatever she would give him, letting her make the choice, letting her open to him. She deepened her kiss, wanting him to know that she was allowing him in. She would trust him, she had to. If there was any chance of them both being together, she had to...

Nico breathed deeply, his fingers tangling in her hair as they sat there, embracing against the sand of the beach, knowing soon they would have to go. But for now, in this small moment, June let herself go.

He was the first though to break the kiss, his forehead pressing gently against hers as he closed his eyes.

"I wish" he began, his voice a bit ragged.

"I know" June said "But we have to go."

"Even if something happens" he said softly "Even if something happens to me, I'll always remember this moment. You, here with me. And I'll know, that for a second, I was real. That what I feel right now, it's real. No matter what...I'll know..."

"It's real" she said hesitating for a moment before taking a deep breath "It's real me. You, here, I'll remember, I won't forget you. No matter what."

Nico looked into her eyes and a silent vow passed between them as they both stood up on the beach, their hands folded in one another's. June promised herself, she wouldn't forget him, not for the rest of her life. She would remember the way he looked right now in this moment, those half-lidded eyes staring down at her, those full lips softly smiling as his hair whipped around in the wind from the lake, the stars and sky his background. She burned the image in her mind so that way later on in her darkest hour she would remember him...

"We should go" he said breaking the silence.

"Alright" she said still holding his hand as they walked back up the pathway to the van. She couldn't describe what she felt in these small moments, but whatever it was, she cherished it.

They drove back towards the housing district, the light or morning threatening the sky. Nico promised they would be back before Fredrick and Serena got home, but slowly they began pulling up to a house June didn't recognize.

"What are we doing?" June said alarmed at the new location.

"There's something else I want to show you" Nico said turning off the van and exiting. June followed him to a large brick house that looked modern and comfortable to live in, it's white paneled windows fashionable against the red bricks.

"Climb on my back" he said as the approached the wall of the house. June wrapped her arms around his neck as he bounced her straight on his back. His hands dug deep into the brick and he scaled the wall like a monkey. June marveled at his strength for a moment before they reached one of the white windows a story up.

"Look in the window" he whispered and June did as she was told.

There, sleeping peacefully was Sarah snuggled up with her toy elephant. Her hand cradled in a fist as her dark beautiful hair was tangled in a mess of good dreams and sleep. June put her hand to the window, wanting nothing more than to open it and steal Sarah away like a changeling child in the night. June pressed her hand against the glass and saw her reflection as Nico stared back at her. She couldn't take her, not right now. She couldn't hide Sarah, and she had to trust Luke that the Rebellion would come for them both. For now, she had to let her sister go.

June eyes began to tear up at the sight of Sarah. "Please Nico, let's go, I can't...please" she tried to get out. Nico lowered them down and dropped June to her feet on the soft grass. She wiped her tears away walking towards the van in haste.

"I'm sorry" he said following her "I just wanted you to see she was alright."

"No" June said wiping away her tears "Thank you for showing me, I needed it."

Nico frowned and got in the van, driving it into their neighborhood. The house where Sarah was at was only a few blocks from Fredrick's. June had been this close to her sister this whole time, a thought that made June hate him even more than before. She could have been with Sarah, could have ran away if she had only known...

Nico parked the van down the street, tossing the keys in the brush of a neighbors house before taking June's arm in his.

They walked home to the house, still making sure no one was watching or listening as they silently walked together.

Nico let June on his back again as they entered into the gardens and dropped her off at her window just before sunrise was to start. June sat on the windowsill and stared at the beautiful sun, it's red, yellow, pink, and orange glow barely over the horizon. She loved sunrise, the colors of the sky like music to her eyes. Nico sat beside her watching as well. How crazy it was that she would find someone that she felt so comfortable with in silence in all the chaos of this world. Someone she could just sit with and know their exact feelings without saying a word.

"So I've thought of a way you could repay me" Nico suddenly said.

June whipped her head towards him, her eyes wide at his sudden request "Now? What could I do right now?"

"You could tell me your name" he said looking over at her with a smirk.

"My name?" she said "That's all?"

"That's all I need" he said nodding.

"You know my name" she said turning away, afraid of telling him. Her name was the only thing she hadn't given this male. Her body, her mind, but her name? It was still hers, to give him her name was to give him all...

"I need to know" he said growing serious "Please..."

June looked at him and felt her walls break down. He looked so beautiful in the sunrise, those eyes sparkling as the light fell just right against his skin. Slowly she bent forward, pressing her forehead against his as he had done at the beach only hours ago.

"My name" she said in barely a whisper "is June."

"Now I know" he said also whispering.

"Know what?" she said confused.

"Now I can tell people your name when they ask me" he said holding her face in his hands.

"Ask you?" she said staring at him.

"When they ask me what is worth dying for" he said looking into her eyes "I can say your name."

And with that, Nico kissed her quickly before jumping down from the window, leaving her sitting on the windowsill in shock from his words. As she went to go lay down on the bed she thought about her night and all that was said between her and Nico.

She decided in those small quiet moments as the sun rose up in the sky that yes, he was worth it as well.

She would die for him, because she would die free, and in love.


	13. Chapter 13

June slept peacefully that night, knowing that soon she would leave this place along with Sarah and Luke. She woke up early the next day, only to feel like something was amiss. Cora had not come in to wake her, and there was no food left out for her. The evening air felt stale as she looked outside, the sky above gray and hazy, a sign of rain to come.

June rubbed her face and combed her hair with her fingers as she dressed as usual. She figured Cora was off today and went downstairs just to check. The house was eerily creepy and June got the shivers as she heard no footsteps from upstairs, or any noise coming from the kitchen. She stood, the sound of absolute nothing making the hairs on the back of her neck rise as she walked quietly down the hallway near the staircase.

Suddenly Fredrick appeared beside her with a dark gaze. June heard a yelp escape but quickly recovered as she bent her head low in front of the Commander.

"Today is a sad day" he said to her softly "We must leave for a Ritual, Serena and the others have already left. I wanted to let you sleep since you seemed so worn out yesterday, but it seems you are refreshed. Come, we need to leave" he said taking her arm in his. June let him lead her down the stairs as she tried to collect her thoughts.

June's heart was beating fast; a Ritual was the most gruesome punishment anyone could endure. A traitor of the Order of Gilead was sent to a Ritual to be made an example for others not to go against the Order. It was a public execution, a display of raw power that the Order had over the humans.

June's hands started shaking and Fredrick closed them tightly around his. "Do not fear" he said softly "It is a sad day, but no harm will come to you." June felt a sigh of relief come over, but she didn't want Fredrick to suspect that she had done something wrong. Yes, she had been with the Rebellion, had known the faces that occupied it, but she was more scared that Nico wasn't with them. She knew Fredrick would kill Nico if he ever found out about anything that had progressed from her time in the house. To watch him die made her throat tighten and her hands shake.

Fredrick led her into a limousine, the Guardians around the couple staring straight ahead, not even glancing in June's direction.

The old football stadium where Luke had played football in high school was redone by the Order of Gilead for Rituals. Its metal stands now were made of marble and stone, a gaudy representation of how the Order could change everything the humans had built. People were already gathering in the middle of the forgotten field, which held no grass but only concrete. June was to be with the humans, the vampires above taking their stations. Rituals were a way of letting the natural aggressions of humans out on those the Order deemed appropriately.

Fredrick led her forward and pointed to where Serena, Cora, Rita, and Nico sat. Serena was dressed in a deep gold, her hair high up as her cold eyes gazed down at the humans. Cora and Rita bowed their heads, probably having seen too many of these scenarios to really take interest. Nico was the only one that looked towards her, his blue eyes finding hers immediately. She felt her lungs give out a sigh of relief, happy that he was above the crowd and not part of it. Though both of them knew that what was about to happen was going to be bloody and awful to watch. And June was expected to participate...

"I'll be waiting up there with them when you are finished" Fredrick said "Make sure not to get your hands too dirty of blood."

June wanted to cry; she had heard about these things but had never been to one. Bloodmaids and human male slaves, which were only called Servants, gathered around the traitor and beat him to death with their bare hands or weapons that they found lying around. The traitor was usually a half breed or a vampire that went against the rules and either rebelled against the Order, or killed a human. Human deaths were rare, letting the others know they had committed a terrible crime to be sacrificed instead of being sent to the Farm.

"Humans!" an announcer called forth to the crowd from high above in the studio box "Shed your hate tonight! Let the anger boil inside of you!" All eyes were now on the announcer, a very old looking vampire that reminded June of the monopoly man. She felt like a animal, trapped in a cage with other animals that were hungry for the blood lust that was to come. This is what the Order had reduced them to, hatred against others because they couldn't lash out at the ones that controlled them. They hated whoever the Order put in the pit, they wanted them dead because they were forced to want them dead. June thought of all her anger, her hatred for the Order and the events that had taken her family from her. Yes, she wanted to lash out, she wanted to scream and rage. She wanted the fire in her veins to pour out of her in hate and words. But the other side of her knew this wasn't for whoever was put in front of her down here.

No, her hatred was for the ones above who looked down at her with unfeeling eyes.

She looked to the other humans; each of them looked so tired, so worn out from giving these creatures their life force. June grew hate in her heart for them, to give up so easily on life instead of fighting for it. She wanted them to stand up, to rebel and scream at their oppressors above them. But so much had been taken from them, their freedom, their lives, their very souls it seemed. She had to remember that all hope was not lost, that she was fighting, however small the fight may seem.

She was going against Fredrick, going against Serena, and following Nico for what they both believed in. Yes, she was fighting for it, not out right in the open, but secretly through the shadows. Suddenly she was brought back to her present and two Angels dragged out three people bound together.

The first was a man, practically almost crying to be saved; he looked like a Guardian in his military outfit, his dark skin bloodied from being beaten no doubt. The second was a woman vampire, her fangs bearing at the humans, her burning eyes wanting to kill them all as her wild hair spun in tangles. The third made June want to scream, for there in the chains, was Offglen, the Bloodmaid she had seen only the other night. Her head was bent low, those brown locks falling against her face as blood dripped down her mouth. All three of their arms were bound behind them, their knees hitting the concrete floor before the crowd. June could feel the tension from her fellow humans, felt them wanting to kill the people that they were here for.

June walked fast to get beside Offglen, pushing others out of the way to get a closer look at her once companion. She looked drugged out of her mind and looked around the crowd in a daze. Her pupils were dilated, her head swaying back and forth, obviously not aware of what was about to happen to her as the crowd began pushing forward at the sacrifices.

"Oh God they are going to rip her apart" June thought to herself. She desperately looked in the crowd at Nico, his face matching hers as he began to panic. Offglen, no... Lucy, that was her name. She was going to die right before their eyes after they had just seen her the other night. Nico looked sick as he stared down at June, his eyes lost on what to do as June shook her head. There was nothing they could do, to try and save Lucy was to expose not only June, but Nico as well. June looked around quickly, thinking there was only one thing to do now. The concrete field was filled with broken equipment, furniture, anything the Order thought humans could use as a weapon during the Rituals.

June saw a piece of large wood, a two by four with some nails that lay on the ground. She quickly picked it up, it was large and could do a lot of damage. Taking a deep breath, she tried not to vomit at her choice.

"Humans! Look at the traitors! Look at the violators of your kind! The man killed a Daughter, leaving your defenseless child to die in his arms, barely older than my own Daughter! The woman killed Bloodmaid who only gave blood to her master to survive; she did it out of jealously, jealousy of your beautiful mortality! And this disgusting girl! She was going to betray you all! She was going to kill her master, and destroy your beautiful existence in this world! Punish them for betraying you! Punish them!" the announcer yelled.

The crowd grew hungry for blood as the humans started to scream for the three people's deaths. June walked forward towards Lucy, tears starting to form in her eyes. She couldn't let her suffer, couldn't let the savages her kind had become destroy her. She would do what was right, even if she knew it was the very thing that separated her from the crowd.

June held up the piece of wood and aimed for Lucy's head. And in a single powerful swing, June knocked her unconscious, and let the crowd have her. She felt the bodies swarm past her, the screams from the other two piercing the air as the crowd began beating their bodies to death with their hands and objects others had found along the arena. June heard the distinct sound of blood hitting the ground, the smashing of flesh that had a deep thud going straight into June's heart.

June walked past the crowd to the outskirts of the field. Her hand still held the piece of wood even though her arms felt like dead weight. She could feel nothing, her heart felt numb, and June wondered if she could even breathe. Her body jerked violently and she vomited on the concrete, emptying the contents of what little she had eaten the previous night. Her body shook as she knelled down, the back of her hand wiping away the spit that had formed on the side of her mouth. She had never killed anyone before...although the blow hadn't been the final one, she had let the crowd have Lucy...

Suddenly, Fredrick and the others appeared in front of her. Nico came up to her, ignoring his father's look of surprise, and wrapped his jacket around her shoulders, helping her up from the cold concrete.

"Nicholiah" his mother began, wanting to scold him for touching June.

"Mother, leave it alone" he said giving her a cold look leading June away from the scene as other vampires came down to collect their property.

June looked up and saw Serena back down from her son, knowing he was right. June walked silently with them, still ignoring Fredrick's dark gaze on her and Nico.

"I couldn't...I couldn't let them..." June whispered.

"I know" Nico said comforting her in a hushed voice "It was the right thing to do."

Nico regrettably let go of June when they reached their transport. Fredrick grabbed June roughly, leading her away from the others and nearly shoving her back in the car.

"That was a unnecessary display you put on back there" he nearly spat at June "I would advise you to compose yourself more next time."

"Next time" June thought getting sick all over again. She didn't think she could handle a next time, what if it was someone she knew again? What if it was Nico...

The drive back to the house was a tense once, Fredrick only looking over at her with a narrow glare before looking back out the window. June felt like she was trapped in a box with a rabid predator, her lungs desperate for air as she tried to control herself from hyperventilating.

Later that night, Fredrick fed from June without giving her one once of gentleness. His fangs bit down so hard June noticed the growing pain and her feet started kicking reflexively. Serena even noticed his harshness and looked at June with almost sympathy.

"Fredrick let go of her" Serena said touching his shoulder. Fredrick looked at her with evil eyes and went back to June's wrist which was starting to swell from him ravaging her blood.

"Fredrick I said stop!" Serena yelled.

June suddenly felt something snap in her wrist and a piercing pain run up her arm. She screamed out, the tears coming instantly as a rush of pain came up her arm and through her shoulder. She felt like ice and fire had mixed inside herself as her mouth shuddered trying to stop her cries from becoming too loud.

"Stop!" she cried finally, unable to take it for a second longer and suddenly Fredrick let go with his eyes wide open. He pushed himself away from her, his mouth stained with her blood as Serena blocked June from his view. June took her bleeding arm in her hand and began softly crying about her wrist. She looked up at Fredrick, her eyes pleading for no more tonight...

"Here let me see it" Serena said taking her arm. June's arm flopped into Serena's hand and her wrist was bent in an odd shape. June couldn't help but cry out, her body shivering from the amount of pain.

"Fredrick you fool, you dislocated her wrist!" Serena sneered at him from the back of her shoulder. He still had blood dripping from his mouth and his gaze was dark and unholy as he looked at the two females, composing himself like the noble that he was. June hated him, she wanted to wipe that pretentious look right off his face with the butt of a gun...

"She doesn't need to move it to give me blood" he said darkly and quickly left the room.

June started to cry openly now that he had left, the pain was unlike anything she'd ever felt. She had broken bones before, but he had snapped her wrist in a way that it was giving her pain every second she breathed.

Serena looked at the girl in pity. "This is going to hurt a lot" she warned her and took June's wrist and snapped it back into place. June softened against the chair and held her wrist against her like a wounded animal. She wanted to hide and lick her wounds, wanting nothing more to do with this place. She wanted to be with Sarah and Luke, she wanted this to be finally over...

"I'll get some honey wax and wraps, you stay right here" Serena said patting her leg as she left.

When Serena returned, the tears had dried from June's face and she sat numbly in the chair holding her arm.

"Come over here" Serena said carrying the box full of ancient healing tricks. June did as she was told and sat on the chair close to the desk with Serena. The box contained jars full of different substances, the smell musky and old as Serena unpacked items.

"You know why he did that?" Serena said pouring the warm honey over June's wrist.

"Why?" she whispered, her voice even trembling. She knew Fredrick had been angry, but she didn't know his jealousy would reach this violently.

"Because Nicholiah is in love with you" Serena said barely looking up from June's wrist.

"He is?" June asked astonished.

"Yes, he confessed it to me when I tried to get him to feed from you again. Fredrick suspected something, but only till after the Ritual was it confirmed to him that you were the interest of someone else" she said now attaching the splints to the side of her wrist.

"I'm sorry" June said looking away.

"Don't be" Serena said now smiling "I've never seen him act like that around Fredrick. I always thought he would turn out like him, but it seems he's more like his real father than anything" she said smiling sadly at June as she rubbed the hot honey into June's skin. June stared at her with wide eyes, shocked Serena had brought up that blight on their household.

"Oh don't look so surprised, I know Nicholiah must have told you" she said as June blushed. Nico was in love with her...

June thought about the confession as Serena wrapped the medical cloth around her arm. Did she love Nico back? Love seemed impossible in this day and age, especially for the castes they had both been unwillingly placed in.

"He fought for me too, you know, although Nicholiah doesn't know about had challenge Fredrick for my honor. But sadly, humans are much weaker than vampires, and Fredrick made sure that he wouldn't be in the way. My Kristoff, that was his name... I never thought I could love a human the way I loved him. And the fact that I had conceived his child, which for a vampire is no easy feat... That's why Nicholiah means so much to me...he's all I have left of him. And he is so like his father, I see the way Nico looks at you, and it is the same look Kristoff used to give me" she said now finishing bandaging June up.

June listened and began to understand Serena now. Although she was far older than Fredrick, she was weak because she left her heart open and bare to those that were undeserving of it...

"Would you let him have me if I were like you? Would you let Nico love a human?" June asked, not exactly knowing why.

"I would let him have you" she said smiling as she was going to leave the room "Even if you weren't" and with that, she closed the door on June and her thoughts.


	14. Chapter 14

June walked to her room with the splint and thought about what she was going to do. She was beyond frightened at this point. Fredrick's anger had caught her off guard, his jealousy more than just infatuation with June but more of a necessary to control not only her but everyone around him. Serena had somehow turned caring towards June, which spooked her out a bit, having spent so much time trying to avoid the female vampire she was beginning to understand her well enough. She loved her son, and would do anything for him, even if it meant him leaving this house with a human girl. And Nico... Serena had said Nico was in love with her. She had never known love, had thought it almost impossible to have since the Order rose up and took power. A relationship seemed like a distant memory, her last boyfriend being as far back as college. Could she have a relationship? It was possible, if she survived Serena's attempts to feed Nico and Fredrick's raging jealousy. Anything after all was possible...

And where was she stuck in all this? Compromised between a man who was obsessed with her, his unyielding lust for someone she was not, and between freedom with someone she genuinely cared for...

Could she run away? Would she run away? Would Fredrick come after her and kill her if she did? Would she be able to fight him off? And what of Sarah and Luke? Would they be compromised as well if she just fled from this house and made for the rebellion? What about Nico? What would happen to him if she did leave? How far could she actually make it if she were to run out of this house now, injured wrist or not...

June made it back to her room, her opposite hand cradling her wrist as she tried to keep from crying again. There was too much at stake, too many what if's and she couldn't afford to risk it. If it was just her fate on the table, yes she would be running for the hills. It wasn't just her though, it was everyone she cared about that was at risk if she made a rash decision. She had to think of the greater good, no matter how much she suffered at Fredrick's hands. She would get her freedom, she just had to bide her time to get there.

June sat on her bed and thought about what she needed to do. It all seemed so hopeless, thinking if the Rebellion didn't achieve what they wanted. She would die here, and Nico would be miserable, he might even leave her...a thought that sent dread into her heart.

Quickly she threw the thought to the side. No, she would not be helpless if that were to happen. She would get through whatever walls she had to if it meant getting back Sarah. She would go, she would fight. She would not end up like Lucy and she would not roll over like so many Bloodmaids before her. She was June, and she would die June.

"He fucking did that to you didn't he?" Nico suddenly said appearing in her room like a ghost. June stood up and went to him, already seeing the rage in his eyes at her bandaged wrist. She held him still, watching as his fangs sneered as he inspected her. His touch was gentle when holding her wrist, but June could feel the heat coming off his body in waves.

"I'll fucking get him for this!" Nico finally spat out, his feet heading straight for the door.

"Shhh!" June hissed at him, grabbing him away from the entrance "It's fine! Your mother fixed it!"

"I'll kill him!" Nico said his face getting red, turning to her "I'll slit his throat for hurting you!"

"No you won't!" she hissed at him again, making him look into her eyes "You just need to calm down and think straight for a moment. Nothing good will come from you going and starting something. The more Fredrick suspects the more he might hurt me, or worse you. And I won't let you do that!"

"I won't let him near you until Mayday" Nico said grabbing her shoulders "I'll guard outside your door if I have to. He can't be trusted, not after today. You saw what happened to Lucy, I'll be damned if I let him do the same to you."

"You can't risk your life for me" June said shaking her head "I'm not worth it, there are so many others that need the Rebellion's help. You can't give up if something happens to me."

"No" he said sternly "You are wrong."

"No I'm not Nico!" she said getting upset "People can't just give up. To give up is to die! You can't do that to everyone who's counting on you. You can't do that to Luke, or the Rebellion, and especially not me!"

"You are worth it" he said holding her face now.

"I don't know why you keep saying that" June said letting the tears fall hot on his skin "I haven't done anything to deserve this. I was a coward Nico, I let them take Sarah. I wasn't strong enough..."

"You are strong" he said, his eyes bearing into hers "You are a survivor. You came here and you've survived Fredrick and my mother. That may not seem like much to you, but I have watched time and time again humans come into this house and barely last a few days. You've managed to last months. To someone who's had to watch on the side lines, that fact alone makes you incredible in my eyes. I wish you could see that."

"I think I do" she said looking down away from him "But I'm not sure how to feel anymore. I'm so confused, I don't have time to feel anything except what my next move is to get through another night. I hear you say all these things and it makes me feel...I don't know..."

"You can feel June" he said now growing tender in tone "You can let go once this is all over. You can be free to feel however you want. About your future, even about me. Either way I'll still feel the same about you."

"And what am I to you?" she whispered, her heart faintly beating inside her chest as she looked up at him. She wanted to know, she needed to know. She could die for him and she would never know if how he felt was true.

"You are June, and nothing else. You are you and that's why I care for you" he said burying his head into her hair "I knew that the first moment I saw you, even if I didn't know your name. You looked up at me that first night and I didn't see some scared little girl. I saw hatred, I saw fire. I saw that you were going to fight no matter what. It woke something up in me that I can't explain and I've been feeling that same fire ever since."

"Nico" June said softly "Do you..."

"Yes" he said knowing her question before she even finished "I love you."

"Nico we need to escape" she whispered "Fredrick is going to kill me or kill you. I can't watch you die. We need to get out of here, is there any way we can leave sooner?"

"Tomorrow night" he said now looking into her eyes "Tomorrow we leave, I'll grab a van. You meet me outside in the gardens when the cameras turn off. We will run for the border after we grab Sarah. I'll keep you safe."

"You promise?" she said her eyes sparkling at the thought of being free sooner than she thought.

"I promise" he said and kissed her deeply. June let his arms wrap around her body and she melted against him. She was never one to swoon, never thinking she needed someone to help her out. She could do it by herself, but Nico was handing her the key without any stipulations. He loved her, and he didn't require her to love him back. She did though, in between the chaos and the fear she had lived in for so long, she did love him...

Suddenly they heard footsteps and before Nico could disappear Fredrick stood at the door, his eyes burning with fire. Nico pushed June back behind him, his fangs bared as a guttural hiss escaped from both him and Fredrick.

"You will not have her!" his voice thundered as he walked into the room, his eyes wide and crazed as he stared at the two. His hair was pulled back as his clothes looked disheveled, a spot of blood from the feeding earlier that night splattering against the sleeves of his white shirt.

"You don't own her Fredrick! She isn't a thing!" Nico sneered at him "You'll have to go through me before I let you touch her again!"

"Insolent boy! I'll kill you for even looking at her! Arista is mine!" Fredrick thundered and hurtled towards Nico. June gasped as Nico pushed her on the bed, letting Fredrick take his rage out on him.

Nico moved like a soldier would, his reflexes strong and accurate as Fredrick swung fist after fist at him, bearing his teeth and roaring. Nico landed punches in Fredrick's ribs, the crack of bones echoing out in the air. But his few shots were all that the young vampire could get as Fredrick soon tackled him to the ground, his rage fueling his strength as he chomped and bit in the air to try and tear at Nico's flesh. June stood up and tried to pull Fredrick off of Nico but he only hurtled her away from him and slammed her body into the wall. June gasped as pain shot up her arm, her wrist stabbing pain up her body. June gritted her teeth and got back up, her hand grabbing at anything to try and get Fredrick off of Nico.

Nico grunted and hissed, trying to kick out from the weight of Fredrick, his nails digging into his flesh causing dark blood to start dripping down Fredrick's white shirt. June could see Fredrick's nails doing the same on Nico's shoulders, the pressure sending blood oozing onto the floor. June began screaming, her words deaf against the two males as the tumbled and tore at one another. Fredrick once again turned, his eyes nearly black from his rage as he threw June to the side, her head hitting the pole of the bedpost hard as she flopped to the floor, pin pricks forming at the corners of her vision as she tried to stand once again.

"What is going on?!" Serena screamed entering the fighting scene. Fredrick and Nico had wrestled enough on the floor that Nico's blood was smeared over the wood, the room looking bloodied and barbaric from the once pristine area it was. June tried to pull herself up against the bedpost, feeling the hot warmth of her own blood start trickling down the back of her neck.

Serena quickly went to June and looked into her eyes, June seeing two of the scared female as her voice rung out against the roars of the other two "Only you can stop this! Only you can calm him down!" she yelled over the smacking of flesh.

June stood up, trying to regain her balance when suddenly Fredrick got a hold of Nico, his arms finally pulling the young man up to his fangs as he bit down hard on Nico's shoulder. Blood flew through the air as Fredrick's ravaged Nico's flesh, his blood making a sickening sound of splatter as it gushed to the floor. Nico screamed from the pain, his hands desperately trying to push Fredrick off of him. But the old vampire knew a fatal blow when he had one and sunk down deeper, letting Nico's blood pool around their bodies covering them both.

"Nicholiah!" Serena screamed and ran for Fredrick. Her panicked screams were shrill as the female beat her fists against Fredrick's back demanding he release her son. June got up then, her heart rapid as she saw Nico's once beige flesh turn gray from the loss of blood.

"Let him go!" June screamed at Fredrick, her voice cracking and high "I choose you! I choose you! Let him go!"

Fredrick let Nico's body drop to the floor at her words. He looked at June with almost a savage animal gaze as he smirked, knowing he had won the battle. Serena screamed out for Cora and Rita as she tried to stop the bleeding from Nico's throat. June tried to run for Nico as well but Fredrick was quick to grab her by her wrist, the pain blinding her for minute as he drug her out of the room and out towards the stairs.

"Fredrick!" she screamed "Fredrick please!"

Fredrick ignored her pleas, his eyes dark as he continued down the hallway towards the stairs.

"Fredrick you are hurting me please let go!" she yelled, the pain surging up into her shoulders now, afraid he might hurt her further in his rage.

Fredrick stopped and quickly turned to her, letting her wrist go before quickly snatching her by the back of the neck, his hold strong on her pressure growled and then led her downstairs into the Ceremony room. June could hear Serena's screams as she knew that this moment was either going to be the last time she saw Nico...

Or the last thing she heard before she died.


	15. Chapter 15

"You can see I am not one to be competed with" he said to her, his body shaking as they entered the room. Fredrick tossed June to the floor, her body shaking violently from the shock of the fight and the pain radiating from her wrist and neck. She looked up at him with puffy red eyes, her look of pure hate hoping it would drive a stake right through his heart. Fredrick merely sneered at her, wiping his hands off with a nearby cloth as he began talking once again.

"Because of this little incident, I have an ultimatum for you" he began as he threw the cloth down,staring at her with those dark eyes "Either you choose me now and we live together in immortality away from that betraying bitch and her son, or you choose him and you both will certainly die. Either way will work for me.

"I don't care if I die" she said to him, her arm ready to burst from the pain as she defied him "Kill me."

He stood there for a moment contemplating her refusal to his ultimatum. He ran his tongue over his front teeth as June shuddered before him. She would not back down from this, she would rather die than let him have her.

"If you don't let me have you, then no one will. I will kill that ungrateful bastard and I will make you watch. It will be easy, he has lost too much blood. Even if I just stood her and took you on the floor he would die" he said, his last sentence nearly a growl "Unless..."

"Unless what?" June said knowing what he said was probably true. Nico looked near the edge of death when Fredrick had drug her out of there.

"Unless he feeds off a human" Fredrick said "You could save him, if you do as I want."

"What do you want me to do then?" she said knowing this had to be her only choice. She could die, and Nico would surely die along with her. Or she could save him and live out the rest of her short days with Fredrick. They both didn't have to suffer for her mistakes, only she did...

"Join me" Fredrick said coming towards her "Become one of us, taste immortality so that we can always be together, I cannot lose you again Arista. You save him, and then you return to me. That is the deal." Fredrick said "Save him tonight, and tomorrow, you will join me forever."

"Deal" June said and turned to go for Nico but Fredrick stopped her.

"There is one more thing" he said drawing her close as he pulled her close. She could feel his breath on her neck, his body pressing against hers as she tried to hold back from slapping him in the face. She needed to get out of here, she needed to hurry and save Nico...

"You will let me have you" he said against her flesh "I will make you mine, body and soul. Be prepared to be taken Arista, for I will not be kind. You belong to me, your body, your mind, everything will be mine. "

June swallowed hard, knowing what he meant. She was prepared to do so, she had to. It was a life and death situation. Nico's life for her death.

In retrospect, it was an easy decision for her. Nico would take Sarah to Luke, they would be free and alive. When Fredrick turned her, she would do the only thing that made sense. She would walk out into the sun, and let it take her.

Fredrick wouldn't own her, not her mind, not her body, nothing would be his. She would die free, she would love free.

"As you wish" she whispered as she turned to him "Commander."

Fredrick smiled let her go, sending chills down June's back as she ran out the door leaving him alone in the Ceremony room. The stench of blood was thick in the air, the heavy metallic taste invading June's senses as she made for the stairs. She took them two by two, her legs pounding up them as she nearly tripped down the hallway on her dress. The door to her room was still open as she slammed it wide only to see her room was vacant of servants and vampires alike. Only a pool of blood lay remaining with most of her room destroyed by the battling males.

"Nico" June whispered as she turned and ran back down the hallway towards Serena's room. There was too much blood, nobody could survive that...

She pounded her fists on the door of Serena's room, but no voice echoed out for her to enter. She was going to die anyway, what more violation of her station would matter as she swung open the door, finding the female vampire sitting in front of the fireplace.

Her eyes were stained black, a glass of wine sitting beside her as she looked broken against the firelight. June walked up towards the Wifemate, her back straight as she tried to get Serena's attention.

"Serena" June finally said "Where did they take Nico?"

Serena stared into the fire, her hand shaking as she went for the wine. June dipped down and took the glass away from her, making the female vampire look her way finally as June repeated her question. She didn't have time for this, she had to be strong. She was the only one who could do what needed to be done, and Serena had proven more than useless at keeping her son safe.

"You need to get it together" June said growing frustrated "Nico needs my help!"

"What do you care you little minx!" Serena finally spat "You are the cause of all my pain! You seduced my husband and then my son! Fools! All of them fools over a pretty face! You disease...you filth..."

June tossed the wine in Serena's face then, her anger now tipping as her composure faltered.

"I am not the one who let everything get like this" June gritted through her teeth "You were the one in control, you are the mother! You should have stopped this long ago but instead you showed your belly like a coward! I didn't seduce anybody and you know it! You let things get out of hand! You snuck and lied like every other of your kind! Now you tell me where Nico is or I swear I'll make you regret it!"

Serena stared up in shock at June's words but the human girl didn't care at this point. She had had enough of Serena and ever other fucking vampire talking down to her and she wouldn't let her last final day be filled with Serena's pissing and moaning over her own mistakes. She had enough regrets, she didn't need one more before Fredrick did with her as he pleased.

"You really are better than me" Serena said quietly "I never could stick up for myself, I was too insecure. I could have save my Kristoff, but I was too weak, to weak to say no, to fight back...go, go to him" she said as her eyes drifted back to the firelight. June about screamed as she grabbed her by the shoulders, shaking her back to the here and now.

"Where!? Where is he Serena for fuck's sake!?" June yelled in Serena's face.

"The garage" Serena whispered "Cora and Rita took him to the garage."

"I'm going to save him Serena" June said, her voice hard but promising "I'm going to save him. Fredrick will take me afterwards, you cannot" she said drawing Serena's attention back to her "You cannot let Nico follow us. You need to keep him away. Fredrick will kill him. Do something for once in your life and keep your son safe."

"Go" Serena whispered "Go save him."

June nodded and turned, her feet running out the door and headed toward the garage. She ran down the stairs once again, her hands holding up her dreaded red skirt as she moved past the kitchens and out into the gardens. The camera's were still on, but to hell with them, she was going to die soon anyway. Nothing mattered, nothing except getting to Nico.

If she would die doing one good thing, it was going to be saving him.


	16. Chapter 16

*Warning: Explicit material ahead*

June ran to the door of the garage, not caring about the cameras or the Eyes. She rushed across the gardens, the ground wet beneath as she dashed to the garage door. She loudly knocked on the bolted door praying she wasn't too late from dealing with Fredrick and Serena. Rita opened the door to her, those sharp eyes now desloate as they looked to June.

"It's not good" she said in a hoarse voice.

June looked down at her green dress that was stained with a dark liquid that was drying brown against the fabric. June knew that color, she knew it was Nico's blood, and God...Rita looked like she had just come out of a horror movie.

"I need to see him" June said "He needs blood."

"Come in" Rita said nodding "Cora is trying to keep him awake enough to bandage him. I don't know what will happen if he passes out again."

June took the stairs two by two again, her feet pounding on the wood as she held one part of her skirt up while the other gripped the railing on the side like iron. She could feel her heart slamming against her chest, the panic rising as she walked into Nico's room, his posters ripped down probably by Cora or Rita in case they needed medical assistance from outsiders.

Cora sat by Nico's side, his figure draped over his bed, as she kept dabbing his head with a wet cloth and checking the bandage wrapped around his shoulder. June could see Nico's chest rising up and down in ragged breaths, his bandage already nearly soaked through from his open wound. His skin looked gray against the bright blue of the bed sheet as June felt her stomach do a flip at his horrid appearance.

"Can he be saved?" June asked Cora. All traditional talk was aside; June was in a panic and didn't care if she would get in trouble for speaking out of turn. She knelt down beside Nico, her hand wiping the sweat that was forming along his brow.

"He's very injured, he lost a lot of blood, I hope you are well enough to bring him back" she said with tearful eyes "He could heal himself, but he can't do it without feeding. And even then it would take some time before he fully recovered. I've never seen an injury like this before..."

"I have" Rita said shaking her head "Fredrick did this to a Servant in the past. But he was a human, Nico is a lot stronger than that."

"Move and let me see what I can do" June said and looked to her wrist clasp. She didn't have a key! The key was gone from her shoe; it must have dropped when Fredrick slammed her against the wall. She didn't have time to go and look for it; Nico could die at any moment if she wasn't quick.

"Hold him up Cora" June instructed as she pushed her cream locks to the side exposing her neck.

"No Offred!" Cora said grabbing June's arm "If he feeds from that artery he may not be able to stop himself!"

"Then that's my decision" June said looking the young Martha in her dark eyes "Either way I die Cora. Let it be for him instead of the Commander."

Cora hesitantly let go of her arm, her body positioning behind Nico as Rita helped her hoist him up as June pressed his head to her neck, her fingers opening his mouth as his fangs dropped down instinctively.

"If he starts to feed he may wake and be able to do this on his own" Rita instructed as June nodded her head in understanding. She would have to pierce her own skin with Nico's fangs. She had never tried to injure herself before, but now was as good as a time as ever as she bent his head against her neck and felt the pin prick of his fangs hit the side of her neck. June closed her eyes and took a deep breath before pushing his head hard against her, his fangs sinking deep into her skin as blood oozed out into his mouth.

"Offred please" Cora begged in a whisper "He will drain you dry if your not careful."

"Just concentrate on holding him up" June gritted out, fearing Cora might be right. She had to keep still, had to keep her body upright so that her blood flowed down into Nico's mouth. Minutes seem to pass which felt like hours as the three women fell into silence hoping Nico would wake as his life force was restored back into his body. June shuddered, silently praying to whatever God was listening that he would wake, that he would live.

"Offred look!" Cora gasped as Nico's hand began twitching, the first sign of actual life in his body.

"Just keep going" June said in small gasps. Her blood loss was growing on her as her hands began to shake from holding Nico's head in place, her skin paling beside his as she tried to stop herself from fainting.

Suddenly Nico's arm flew up and gripped June's shoulder, his fangs sinking even deeper into her neck, his body awakening in a feral state as he drank heavily from her.

"Offred!" Cora cried out as Rita held her back from taking Nico off of June.

"Just go! Hurry!" June said as Nico pressed her down against the bed, his weight pinning her down "Get out and tell Serena! I can handle this!"

Cora began crying as Rita dragged her away from the two on the bed, her cries heard even as they descended down the stairs, Cora sure that they would find June dead by morning. June waited until she heard the safety of the door closing before she addressed the vampire that was laying on top of her drinking from her neck. How had she gotten so used to someone physically leeching off her?

"Nico" she started "Nico wake up!"

Nico kept his eyes closed, his mouth stained with her blood as he kept drinking, his fingers digging into June's now bare shoulders from her dress being pushed down to allow him access to her neck.

"Nico" June tried to push him away "Nico stop! Nicholiah stop it right now!"

Like lightening Nico sprung up, his eyes wide as if he had just awoken from a nightmare. He looked down at June and then to their position on his bed, her open wound pouring out blood as she tried to put pressure to stop the bleeding. Nico looked at his hands in horror and quickly went to her neck, sealing her wound with his binding saliva.

"June" he began, his voice hoarse "I'm so sorry June, I didn't..."

"It's okay" June said with a soft smile, her hands going up to his face "I wanted to..."

"You, you saved me" he whispered.

"Nothing you wouldn't have done for me" June said again "Your worth it after all."

"Worth it?" Nico said disbelieving her words at first.

"Love is worth dying for" June said, her voice ringing true in her heart as she said them.

"You?" Nico said with wide eyes, his head shaking involuntarily.

"Yes" June said just as he had the other night "I love you."

Nico bent down and kissed her, taking her body in his arms, the muscles tight as she gripped them weakly. She still had strength left, she could make sure he was going to live, not just the few hours her blood had given him in those quick moments.

"Take me Nico" June whispered "Let me have you."

"June" he said against her lips " You've had me since that first night."

And with that he began holding her closer, his body being fueled by her blood as his skin returned to a normal color, their lips melting against one another in a long passionate embrace. June felt her dress being pulled up and over her body, her skin like moonlight against his as he removed his pants, tossing them to the side of the bed. Slowly he rubbed up against her body with his coarse hands, his palms finding her breasts and massaging them, making June moan out. This wasn't like before, before had been quick and heated. This was a slow burn, a melting that needed to happen. A part of June felt like it was going to be the last thing she ever did, but quickly put it in the back of her mind. Right now belonged to her and to Nico. No Serena, No Fredrick, no Order, just them in his room, their bodies grinding against one another with a intense slowness.

He drew her out as his lips started tasting her skin up her torso and around her breasts, her fingers digging into his hair as she begged for him. Her core was aching to be touched, her hips bucking for some kind of friction to release the tension that was building up between her legs. Nico smirked against his skin, the first she had seen since they had gotten back from the night with the Rebellion. June wanted to growl as she grabbed his hair, needing him to stop his relentless teasing. She found the waistline of his boxers and dipped her hand down to grasp at his length. Nico hissed out against the side of her shoulder, his hips dipping down for her to continue touching him as his fingers laced down between her legs finding her weak spot that sent her crying out.

Nico's breath was hot against her skin as he continued his ministrations, his fingers pushing against her in ways that made her bite her lip less she be too loud in their love making.

"Nico" she gasped out finally, her hands scratching down his back "Please..."

"June" he said against her ear in a hiss as his hands moved her knees apart for him to enter her "Let me have you."

In a quick thrust he found her core, her body bucking in ecstasy at the fullness of him once again inside her. She heard herself curse in the air, her legs wrapping around his hips to draw him in more. He moved in a solid rhythm against her, his arms above her as her nails dug into his back, sending him smiling in a satisfied smirk as he looked down at her naked body bouncing against his.

"Bite me Nico" June said as she moved on on top of him, her body begininng to ride him as she took control.

Nico didn't hesitate, his body moving up as he wound his arms around her, his fangs sinking into her neck, gently taking whatever she was offering as June made him hers. Her fingers twisted in his hair, loving the pain and pleasure that he was giving her. He drank heavily from her before sealing her up and shooting his head to look her dead in the eyes.

"God June" Nico got out in a husky breath as he pulled her hips up so he sunk into her, her moans loud against him "Do you know what you do to me?"

June couldn't answer him, her voice catching as he drove into her, pulling her head against his so that his intoxicating voice drifted into her ears.

"Everything" he said raggedly "You do everything to me."

Hearing the strain of his voice, the lust and need for her sent June over the edge, her body burning from her climax from his words as his hips pounded into her core, sending her flying high as Nico found his release in a growl as he filled her once again. June let out a satisfied moan as they lay back against the bed, their bodies draping over one another as the room smelt of blood and sex.

If this was going to be the last thing she experienced before her death, at least it was a good one.

A really, really, **_really fucking good_** one.

She felt her body relax against his, her eyes heavy as Nico put an arm around her body protectively before succumbing once again to sleep. At least this time June felt comfortable letting him pass out, knowing he would heal in a few hours. But she had to leave, she couldn't stay with him. Or all of this would be for naught, although Nico was going to survive, she didn't know if his body could take another attack from Fredrick.

She sat and thought about her fate as the sun rose and set, her eyes watching the day fly by her as she quietly got up as soon as nightfall came. She dressed in the last thing she would ever wear and crept down the stairs, leaving Nico sleeping soundly on his bed, his arm still over what was once her body that laid beside him. She knew she was thankful to have met him, thankful for all that he had given her however short it had been. It was worth it, all of it. She would die knowing that.

June walked outside, her hands bolting the door behind her. She quickly walked across the gardens, her neck tender from Nico's bite and her legs sore from his love. She smiled to herself, knowing Fredrick would hate her once he saw the wound. He would know that Nico had taken her body and her blood right along with her heart. She would never be his, she would only be hers and whoever she chose to give herself to. She had won in the end, no matter the outcome.

As she walked inside the manor she heard the soft cries coming from the kitchen area as June rounded the corner, finding Rita hovering over what looked to be Cora's dead body.

"Oh God Cora!" June cried out as she dropped down to her friends lifeless corpse, her dark eyes still wide as her neck was torn out, her blood pooling around her body and Rita's.

"I couldn't stop him" Rita gasped between sobs "He attacked her after she scorned him for hurting Nicholiah and for hurting you. He was too quick and by the time I tried to stop him, his hands were around her throat and...and."

June bared her teeth in anger, her body shaking in her unaltered rage once again. He had taken someone else, had taken her dear friend and comrade in this hell house. And now Cora's lifeless eyes stared up at her, her last moments sealed on her face as fear and shock were frozen across her expression.

"I'll kill him" June shuddered "I'll kill him for this, for everything."

Suddenly a sound thundered out from above as a shrill scream came forth from upstairs.

"Serena!" Rita screamed, her body jolting upwards and heading around the corner for the stairs. June looked down at Cora, hot tears threatening the corners of her eyes as she slowly pushed her friend's eyelids down, letting her rest forever.

"I'll make him pay" June said in a violent whisper "I'll make him pay for this."


	17. Chapter 17

June hurried after Rita up the stairs, wiping the angry tears that came down her face as she heard the booming of furniture being tossed around. Fredrick's yelling could be heard loud and clear, Serena's shrill voice calling out for Rita. The air was thick with the smell of blood, Nico's and now Cora's filling the house. June ran to the door as Rita used her all her strength to open the door that was being blocked by something heavy.

"Madam!" Rita called out "Madam open the door!"

"Here move!" June called out as she took a few steps back towards the railing of the hallway. Rita moved, her eyes panicking as Serena's screams grew louder. June ran full force towards the door, hurdling her body into the wood as the door gave a loud thump from the contact of her body. But it had moved, if only an inch as June proceeded to back up again and crash into the wood once more. Rita followed suite, both women using their combined body weight to push the door open. June heard the wrestling of bodies inside, the sounds seeming more appropriate if two rhinos were having a boxing match inside the room, and she gritted her teeth as they gave the door one more final push, the door opening just enough for them to slip by.

Rita was the first to scramble in, her yells for Serena growing as she went inside the room. June followed after, seeing that one of Serena's gaudy dressers had been blocking the doorway, it's contents spilled out along the floor as she blinked her eyes trying to adjust to the darkness of the room.

"No" she whispered her voice faint in the air.

Rita huddled over Serena's body, her flesh torn in bits and pieces, those dark reflective eyes of her looking straight at June lifeless. Her blood had been smeared along the walls and curtains, a sure sign that she had been fighting her murderer. June looked to the corner of the room, finding Fredrick looking feral and satisfied with his work of killing off his Wifemate.

"You killed her! You bastard!" Rita screamed out "You jealous son of a bitch! How could you?!"

June felt the air leave her lungs, watching as Rita screamed at the psychotic vampire before them. She wanted to speak, to warn Rita to be quiet, but her mouth was trying to catch up to her thoughts before it was too late.

Fredrick walked over to the screaming Martha, his Wifemate's body being cradled in her arms. She saw the look in his eye, knew what he was about to do.

"No! Fredrick don't-" she yelled out but the vampire was already upon Rita. He pounced on the Martha, ripping at her throat and arms as his claw sunk deep into her flesh. June ran and tackled him, her body flinging him away as she protected Rita for a moment. But Fredrick only seemed entertained by her resistance.

"You cannot save them Arista" he growled "We don't need her kind around anymore. It will just be you and me. Forever."

"Please Fredrick!" June cried out "You've done enough!"

"Forgive me my love" he said moving like lighting before her "But I must do what I must to keep us happy."

Fredrick grabbed June by the arm and flung her aside, his strength too much for her to fight fairly as she toppled to the floor, her body scrambling to get back up and protect Rita. The pop of flesh being torn made June visibly sick as she turned to find Rita being torn apart. Fredrick was making quick of his work, the screams of Rita fading out quickly as June knelled on the floor, totally abandoned of hope.

She couldn't save anyone, not Nico, not Rita or Cora...

She looked around and suddenly saw a letter opener that had fallen from one of Serena's bedside tables. Quickly she pocketed it within the sleeve of her dress. Either she would be using it on Fredrick...or herself.

June looked over to the body of what was once Serena, her mouth had been open, probably from the screaming Rita and June had heard in the hallway.

"How could this be happening?" June thought to herself "How had it gotten this far?"

Suddenly Fredrick stood and her focus was back on the raving mad vampire before her. He turned to her and quickly picked her up off the floor, nearly dragging her out of the room as he tossed the heavy dresser to the side like it was nothing. Serena and Rita's bodies faded from view as June was taken out into the hallway and down the stairs into the Ceremony room.

Fredrick opened the door and tossed her inside, June's legs giving out before her as she fell on the rug, her lungs begging for air as she began to think about what was coming next.

"You...you killed your wife" June got out, still in disbelief.

"She deserved it" Fredrick said wiping the blood of Serena and Rita's off his hands.

"Cora..." June said shaking her head in disgust.

"A trivial soul" Fredrick said flicking his hand away from the thought of the young Martha "It won't matter, her death will be justified."

"And how is that" June said sneering up at him.

"I'll blame their deaths on that bastard in the garage" Fredrick said with a wicked smile "I'll report that he went mad from blood lust, his obsession with you fueling his intent to rid of everyone that would get in his way. I'll say that I took you away to guard what was mine before he killed me and kidnapped you. It will all be arranged."

"You won't get away with it!" June screamed "The Rebellion will take over this hell hole of yours! Nico will come for me and you'll never see me again!"

Fredrick laughed at her before shaking his head, as if he was a parent and her, the stupid child.

"The Rebellion" he said with a laugh "You think that a bunch of little humans can take on me. I created the Order of Gilead! Nobody will be able to touch me, not that bastard Nico, not those pathetic humans, no one!"

"You are wrong" June said standing, her fists shaking with hatred "You may have made the Order, but it will fall, just like you."

"Insolent girl" Fredrick said showing his fangs "You are foolish, just like the rest of your kind."

"My kind..."June said growing more bold the longer she faced the Commander. She had nothing to lose now, she was already in too deep. And if she was going down, she was going to take this lunatic right with her.

"Yes, humans" Fredrick said "I had told you before how precious they are to the Order. Your blood sustains us, and we need you. But you are flawed in so many ways. You kill one another without thinking, your hate fuels you, it drives you to the brink of extinction. You need us, just as much as we need you. You need the Order to keep order."

"You might be right" June said shaking her head "Humans are flawed. We are greedy and selfish creatures. We are prejudice against others without even knowing them."

Hearing her words Fredrick began to smile.

"But" June said looking up at him "Our flaws are nothing compared to the tyranny that you have put us through! You take away our lives! Our memories! You separate children from mothers! You kill everyone who would speak against you, you think we are nothing but insects under your shoe! But we will rise, we will rise just as we have always done when faced with oppression. Our rise will be your downfall, and even if I'm not around to see it, you will know that everything you have done will be for nothing!"

Fredrick came forward and slapped her, sending her back to the floor as he stood above her, his dominating appearance threatening to the small frame of June. She didn't care if she had angered him, she didn't care about anything anymore. Fredrick would hear her, he couldn't silence the truth.

"You're a coward" she said with a laugh "You and everyone like you."

"We will see about that" Fredrick said.

June looked up at him as he turned from her, his eyes dark and determined now as he walked over to one of the library shelves. A box with delicate silver lining was stacked on the shelf as Fredrick went to it and produced a necklace from the inside of the box. It was black, like a collar, and June began backing away from Fredrick as he looked to her with clear intent.

"Enough talk" he said "It's time."


	18. Chapter 18

June got up quickly from the floor, her body backing away quickly until it found the wall of the Ceremony Room. Fredrick stood with the necklace, his body confident and intimidating as June tried to think of a way to stop him. She had the letter opener still in her sleeve, but she didn't dare get that close to him now. He was planning on taking her, her body and soul his to own forever. He would undress her, claim her, and then make her into one of himself. That collar would signify the change. Her neck would forever be marked from his bite that would turn her living blood into a cold river of lifelessness.

She could slit her throat, but even then she wasn't sure if Fredrick would just take the opportunity to turn her faster. She was trapped, unable to kill herself to get away and unable to flee the vampire that was approaching her, nearly steps away now.

"Fredrick" she said "Please..."

"We made a deal" Fredrick said motioning for her to come to him "Now it's your turn."

June braced herself, closing her eyes and thinking of everything she was leaving behind. Sarah, Luke, Nico, everything was going to end as soon as she stepped forward. He would take her, but she would see the sun one last time before burning. She would kill the skin that he would think was his, she would burn from the inside where he would think he had touched her, she would die before he even could think she would be his.

June moved towards him, content with accepting her death now that she had a plan.

"Good girl" Fredrick said with a smile and it hit her hard. Nico had once said that to her, but his had been like a sweet kiss on the cheek next to the violent slap that was Fredrick's.

June didn't hide her hatred anymore, her eyes burning at him as she looked away as he brushed her long cream hair from her neck. Fredrick hissed out, his grip on her deadly as he saw the bite mark from where Nico had drank the night before.

"Never again will I let you whore yourself for his benefit" Fredrick said pulling her body against his "You'll never feel him against you, never taste him. You are mine. Now lean your head to the side."

June didn't move, making Fredrick move her for him, she would resist as much as she could at this point, not letting him have the satisfaction of her turning willingly for him.

Fredrick breathed her in, his breath hot on her skin. She wanted to vomit as he began kissing down her neckline, the opposite side where Nico's bite hid beneath her hair. His hands found the back of her dress, pulling at the buttons as they popped on the floor. His hands made quick work of removing her dress, leaving her in nothing but the white slip that she wore underneath. She already felt naked in front of him, the thin cloth barely hiding the curves of her breasts and hips as he eyed her like a hungry animal.

He pushed her down to the floor, her body landing on the fabric of her dress. She felt the letter opener poke her thigh as Fredrick began removing his shirt. Quickly she grabbed it, pressing it to her side as he bent down to be with her on the floor.

"Arista" he breathed out, looking down at her before he would devour his meal.

Grabbing her by the hips he thrusted her body so that his hips bore into hers, his hands holding down her shoulders. She struggled involuntarily, not wanting it to be like this, wanting death more than dealing with this. Fredrick was going to consume her if she didn't do something.

He bent down to her shoulder and neckline, his fangs scraping her skin as she started to cry, unable to do anything else, his strength too much as he continued to pin her to the floor. Without warning he sunk his fangs into her, her scream echoing in the air as he began to drink heavily from her. It felt like a string was being pulled from somewhere inside herself, like the unraveling of a fabric, quick and manic as Fredrick drank her blood. He was bringing her to the brink of death, her body going weak under him, her vision blurring at the sides. She couldn't speak, her mouth barely able to keep breathing as she saw Fredrick's face come into view of her blurry vision.

"Now my love" he said opening a slit in his wrist "Drink from me."

"No" she thought to herself "Not like this..."

She felt the adrenaline rise inside herself, feeling the weight of him come off her shoulder as she gripped the letter opener and slammed the small blade into his neck. Fredrick howled as he jumped off of her, his mouth uttering curses as June wobbled to her side, her hands clawing frantically across the carpet to get to the door. She had to get out, had to go...

"You little bitch!" Fredrick yelled grabbing her by her ankles and dragging her back into place on the carpet "You little viper! You think something like this will kill me?!" he said pulling out the blade and looking down at her, throwing the weapon into the far corner of the room.

"No, but this might" a voice said from the doorway as a shot rang out, sending Fredrick flying back off of June. As quick as her body could manage June crawled upwards, her vision swaying as she saw Nico in the doorway, his body still bandaged with a rifle in his arms, his figure leaning on the side of the door frame to keep steady. He was still weak June realized, he couldn't take on Fredrick in this state...

"Nico" June got out "Run!"

"I'll give you credit for the entrance boy" Fredrick said standing, the bullet wound fresh in his stomach "But you lack experience. That wasn't a fatal shot by any means."

"Maybe not" Nico got out in a pained breath "But it will be enough to knock you on your ass again."

Fredrick started for Nico but June quickly grabbed his leg sending him down. Nico fell to the side of the door, his strength waning the more he tried to maintain in control. Fredrick kicked June in the face, her mouth filling with the taste of blood as she saw stars for a quick moment. Fredrick shot up and ran for Nico, Nico's shotgun firing off rounds that sent Fredrick back a few steps every time a shot entered his body.

Fredrick had a sick smile across his face, knowing that it was only a matter of time before Nico would run out of ammo and then he would kill him once and for all. June tried to stand, her mind willing her body to get up, to fight. If she didn't, Fredrick would get to Nico.

She threw a chair at the raging vampire, the wood splintering against his backside as he was momentarily distracted from Nico's body curled against the wall and back to her. June stood, her hands gripping one of the desks with white knuckles as she tried to remain in control.

"It's time Arista" Fredrick said coming to her "Either you become mine or you will die right here. Your body is failing you, I've taken too much."

June knew he was right, death was coming fast for her. She could hear each heartbeat in her chest slowing, her body unable to keep up from how weak he had made her. Fredrick started walking towards her, June feeling a wave of exhaustion hit her as she faltered and fell to the ground on her knees.

There on the ground, from the one throw June had managed with the chair, lay a spike of wood, just enough hopefully to do what she wanted it to.

"He isn't worth it Arista" Fredrick said looking at Nico, giving June a chance to grip the spike "He is weak. You need someone strong. You are mine Arista, you always were" he said looking back to her, his body like lightning as he pulled her up, pushing her past the desk and into the window glass.

"Say it" he hissed at her "Say you are mine."

"Never" June got out, her eyes rolling from the force of her head that had hit the glass.

"SAY IT!" he screamed at her "ARISTA SAY IT!"

June swung her arm up then, driving the spike right into Fredrick's chest, the hollow sound echoing out in the air. Fredrick stood in awe for a moment, his bloodshot eyes looking down at the spike that was protruding from his chest.

"Arista..." he gasped stepping back.

June moved forward, grabbing him by the shoulder as she gripped the spike in her hand.

"My name" she said with all the fire left in her veins "is June!"

And with that June slammed the spike further into Fredrick's chest, the popping sound signaling that she had hit him in his dead heart. Fredrick's eyes stared wide at June as the light within them began to dim as he fell to his knees in front of her. June watched as Commander Fredrick died before her, his death a sweet release inside her bones.

She was free...she was free...

"June" Nico sputtered from the doorway.

"Nico" June said moving slowly towards him as she fell down beside his body next to the wall.

"Your free" he breathed out happily.

"We both are" she said softly.


	19. Chapter 19

June awoke with the daylight streaming in through the window of Nico's room. She didn't remember falling asleep, but assumed that Nico had brought her up here after the final fight with Fredrick. She had slept for what seemed like a week, her body unrelenting as it tried to regain the strength she had lost. Slowly she rose up, her body aching and hurting in ways she didn't know it could. Her mouth was sore from Fredrick's kick, her mouth still tasting copper as she stood groggily and walked towards the sink on the side of Nico's flat.

She drank a glass of water, it feeling strange against her teeth as she looked around the room lazily. She knew she probably looked awful, her hair sticking to the back of her head as her body complained each time she decided to move. The couch that sat in front of the TV looked like a good place to think of what her next move was as she stepped lightly over to it, letting her body crash against the cushions. She took a deep breath in and let it out slowly. Nico wasn't in the room, not surprising her really. He had been weak yesterday, but a couple days of rest probably set him right. She on the other hand, probably needed a year to get over the past few days.

She looked down at her body, noticing she wasn't wearing her white slip she had been in last time she was conscious. She was wearing a cotton T-shirt with some band name vinyl across the chest. She smiled at the strangeness of the attire. She hadn't worn something like this in what seemed like forever. It smelt like Nico, the nice musk of sandalwood evident as she breathed in the fabric.

"Wonder where he is?" she thought hazily.

She decided to turn on the TV, the remote on a nearby coffee table as she flicked it on. Suddenly she felt wide awake, the news rapid with alerts across the screen.

ORDER TAKEN OVER BY INDEPENDENT MILITIA

HUMANS TO BE RELEASED, LET FREEDOM RING!

REBELLION SUCCEEDS IN TAKING DOWN GILEAD, MORE NEWS TO FOLLOW

SERUM TO BE GIVEN TO ALL HALF BREEDS AT LOCAL CLINICS, SCIENTIFIC BREAK THROUGH TO CURE ALL HUMANS THAT HAVE BEEN TURNED BY THE ORDER

GOVERNMENT ISSUES CELEBRATORY DAY FOR ALL, FESTIVITIES IN THE STREETS OF EVERY MAJOR CITY

"They did it" June breathed out in shock "They really did it."

All across the screen she watched commanding vampires being taken into custody from Rebellion members, the news stating that order was about to return to what was once the United States. She stood shocked, watching people in the city streets begin celebrating, humans and half breeds alike waving their hands in the air.

"Luke" June said wanting to know immediately if they had made it.

Suddenly she heard the door open downstairs and footsteps echoing out as Nico's figure appeared holding bags under his arms.

"Good morning" he said with a smile. June looked over at him and sensed something different about him. She watched as he moved towards her and she gasped when she saw what was different.

"What did you do to your eyes!?" June said realizing they didn't reflect from the light anymore.

"I took the serum. They were distributing it at the clinic a few blocks away. There was a lot of people there as well. I guess they are trying to restore order as quickly as possible" he said sitting beside her.

"What?!" June said in shock "Why would you do that?!"

He had turned mortal...the serum they had talked about on the TV, he had actually gone out and taken it. No longer did his eyes reflect from the light outside, his demeanor now almost...calm. He didn't appear anymore to be threatening, and as he smiled at her she marveled at the way his canines had sunk back into their normal place in his gums.

"Because" he said smiling at her, bringing her attention away from his mouth "I don't want to live in a world where your not in it. I'd rather give up immortality just to be able to spend the rest of my years here, with you."

June couldn't believe his words, her head shaking as she tried to soak in the information. He had done all of this, for her.

"You really do love me" June said.

"Yea" he said "I wasn't lying. Were you?" he said suddenly looking worried.

"No!" June said realizing how she must sound "No! Oh my God I do love you!"

Nico laughed and took her in his arms, his kiss sweet against her forehead as she gripped him tightly. Yes, she did love him, she loved him more than anything. And she was free to love him, no more Eyes, no more Fredrick, no more Order.

"Now let's get up and get dressed, we are meeting your brother soon" Nico said helping her up off the couch.

"Luke?!" June said happily "The news didn't say anything about him!"

"I think he kinda wanted to keep it that way" Nico said winking "He's not so much for being in the spotlight as everyone thinks."

"So he's safe?!" June said getting excited.

"As safe as ever" Nico said kissing her on the cheek "Now come on and get dressed."

June spent the rest of the morning getting ready as she took a hot shower (accompanied by Nico of course) and dressed herself in normal clothes for the first time since she had gone out with Nico. He had brought her a change of clothes in the bag, a nice summer dress with roses over white fabric. She quickly dressed in it, loving the feel of something other than that gothic red dress she was forced to wear as a Bloodmaid.

She stopped and looked at herself in the mirror, realizing she was no longer property. She was June now, and forever.

A big smile broke across her face, her skin illuminating against the sunlight from the window.

"You need to stop that" Nico said from the stairway.

"Stop what?" June asked turning to him.

"Being beautiful" Nico said with a smirk "I won't be able to drive if I can't stop looking at you."

June laughed and came towards him, her smile radiant as she gave him a quick kiss before going down the stairs with him. They made their way down to a compact car that was waiting in the driveway. Neither of them wanted to step into the old house, too many bad memories haunting the stones that built the frames for either of them to want to revisit. Instead they began driving away from the neighborhood and farther away from the city. June watched as the Great Lake passed by her, the sun glimmering against the water as she sighed in content. It didn't matter where they were going, as long as it meant being free while doing it.

Soon they pulled up along a road covered on the sides with thick trees, the green canopy of leaves above leaving spots of sunlight against the road up ahead. Nico drove up it until a white house came into view.

"This" June said in a whisper as she saw her uncles house coming into view.

The white barn house looked like it had even when she was a child, the dark shutters contrast against the wood of the exterior. She nearly pressed herself against the glass as they pulled up in the gravel driveway.

"Nico" she said nearly breathless "How did you?"

But before he could answer June saw Luke's figure in the doorway of the house, and he was holding hands with Sarah.

June nearly jumped out of the car, her body flying towards the duo as Sarah giddly jumped up and down as June raced towards her.

"Sarah!" June shrieked happily as she scooped the little girl in her arms, holding the six year old tight against her chest as Sarah screamed out loud in joy, her tiny arms wrapping around June's neck.

June didn't fight back against the tears that came, her kisses peppering Sarah's face and her body gripping Luke's as he shed tears as well at the reunion.

"We picked her up yesterday and brought her here" Luke said when June started to calm down from her happy sobbing.

"You didn't tell me!" June said loudly as she slapped his arm "I was worried sick about you!"

"Sorry" he joked "We wanted it to be a surprise."

"June! Luke showed me the horses!" Sarah jumped in between them "And we have ducks!"

"This is ours now" Luke said "We can stay here while things on the outside cool off. I think we all deserve a little vacation."

"Yay!" Sarah squeeled "I'm gunna go pet the ducks! Come on June!"

June was dragged away with her little sister as she quickly looked behind to see Nico smiling after them, Luke going to stand beside him as they quickly disappeared from view. Sarah happily babbled as she showed June the ducks and horses and all the farm animals that their uncle had kept from their time away. It seemed almost untouched by the Order, Luke informing her later that their uncle had kept it that way even after he and their aunt passed. Local human farmers had kept up with the farm work, having been paid in advance by their uncle and aunt while they were away.

June couldn't believe their luck, and how the terrible events had led up to this near perfect moment now that she walked with Sarah back to the front of the house. She stopped though when she saw Nico's car had gone, and Luke had disappeared inside the house.

"Luke?" she said entering with Sarah "Where did Nico go?"

Luke came out from the kitchen, wiping down a dish with a rag "He said he had to do some things in the city, but he promised he would come back in a few days."

June looked a little sad from the news but was quickly taken away by Sarah who gave her a full tour of the household. The furniture was a bit dated, along with the land line phone, but other than that everything looked comfortable and serene. June sighed, taking in the calm air around her as Sarah led her up to a room that had a single twin sized bed waiting for her.

"Sarah!" Luke called down from the stairs "Why don't you let June rest a bit?"

Sarah looked up at June with a pleading look "Can I rest with you?"

"Of course" June said with a smile as they both climbed into bed. June hadn't realized how tired she really was as she let Sarah snuggle close to her, the afternoon light pouring in through the stained window. It would take some getting used to actually staying up in the daytime rather than the night.

Sarah immediately took a few deep breaths and went to sleep. It seemed June wasn't the only one who was tired from the last few months as she held Sarah close to her body as she had done when they had stayed together at the Flesh Camp.

As sleep started to take June, she wondered where Nico had gone, and when exactly he would be coming back...

If he came back at all.


	20. Chapter 20

June awoke the day after she arrived at their uncles farmhouse, and she continued to do so for the next few weeks. Everyday she walked outside as the morning sun came up over the tree tops and watched as the light danced against the sky. She listened to the sounds of the rural landscape, the birds singing as the soft breeze of summer lifted through the tree trunks and cascaded around her.

It was freedom.

Freedom from the city and the chaos, freedom from the bad dreams and from the nightmare that she had lived through. She was mostly at peace. Except, there was a growing hole inside her lately. She had known Nico's absence was disappointing, but as the weeks came and went she grew more hollow. Yes, she was free, but what about Nico?

He had earned this type of freedom right along with her, he should be beside her. She had wondered for so long if she truly cared about him during her time as a Bloodmaid, how she had doubted her feelings and tried to put them aside to survive. Now that she was free, now that she could feel and do as she pleased again, she realized that all those feelings she had hid were coming to the surface.

Many nights, when Sarah and Luke were asleep, she would be up, staring at the moon through the window. She had cried, had lamented and wished things had been different. But if they had been, she would have never known Nico, and the wonderful life he had given to her. He had lost everything, she realized. His home, his mother, his life that he had grown accustomed to. True, he had already been fighting the Order, but he hadn't given up so much until he had met her. She wished she could repay him, she wished she could have equally given something up like him.

Now that she stood again in the daylight, she thought of him. His blue eyes, his genuine smirk, his lips on her neck...

It made her feel empty not to have him here. She had wanted this for so long, and now that she had it, how selfish she felt wanting more.

She made a decision, her body moving back inside the house to get changed. She wrote a quick note to Luke, and took the truck keys from the kitchen counter.

If Nico wasn't coming to her, she was going to him, wherever that was.

He loved her, and she loved him. She was going to be beside him, no matter what. It was a revelation, a resurrection in her bones as she felt the hole inside herself filling with purpose. Yes, to be beside him was the right thing to do. As she began driving down the gravel road she felt a pang of guilt leaving Sarah and Luke behind, but her note should explain why she had gone. Luke had noticed her sadness, Sarah probably had been naive about it. They would understand, she had never left like this before, so it should signify how much it meant to her.

The road led out onto the pavement street as she faintly remembered turning right when they had arrived here weeks back. Turning as the sun lit up the cab of the truck, she smiled to herself, her summer dress fluttering in the faint breeze that came through the window. The fields beside the road looked like a golden ocean as they moved and danced with the wind, the countryside almost another world to the one she had been living in for so long.

She would start at the house, go there and see if maybe Nico had gone back. She would go from there, she knew how to be resourceful, hell, spending a whole six months with blood sucking vampires had made her fearless. She wasn't afraid of going alone, she wasn't scared of failure. She had gone into the abyss and had come out, scarred and all. Nothing could touch her now.

She went to turn the radio on, the radio stations taking back their way of communication now. Things had been crazy, from what her and Luke had heard from the towns people a couple miles away. The government was in complete and utter redo mode. No longer where the old men of the past getting re-elected into their offices to make them corrupt, but now the young were taking control, speaking for the people and making the world better. It would take a lot longer than a couple weeks, but June was ready for the bright future.

As her truck ran down the street June saw a figure in the distance, and within moments recognized what seemed to be a drifter walking along the roadside. She passed him unfortunately, her speed suddenly coming to a halt as she realized who she had just saw his tousled brown hair whipping in the breeze as he looked contently out at the fields beside him before turning to look at the braking truck behind him puzzlingly.

"Nico" June said breathless as she put the truck in park and jumped out of the car.

As she jumped out she turned to him, her smile breaking across her face as she stood facing him. At first, he didn't recognize her, her skin tanned from the sun and her hair longer as it whipped behind her in blonde curls.

"Fancy meeting you here" she called out.

"June?" she heard him say. She giggled and nodded her head at him.

"June!" he said running towards her, she doing the same as they met in the middle of the road, their arms flinging around each other as their bodies crashed like waves.

"Where did you go?" she breathed into his neck.

"I had to bury my mother" he said breathing her in "and then I burnt that house to the ground, with him in it."

"Oh Nico I'm so sorry" she said pulling away and looking into his eyes "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want you to have to go back there" he said "I knew if I told you, you'd come. Those things are behind us now."

"So your staying this time?" she asked, her eyes wide and hopeful. The sun was bright against his face as his eyes looked down at her with such elation.

"I'm staying" he said as he pressed his forehead against hers "We are free June, forever."

"Forever" she whispered "We are free."

"What is light to the eyes, what air is to lungs. What love is to the heart, liberty is to the soul of man"- Robert Green Ingersoll

The End.


End file.
